Dead of Knight
by KenSan1990
Summary: Forced to wed at fourteen, a young princess, only to find feelings for the man that escorted her. In later years, the woman must force herself to find this man, that might just save her from death. AU KK Complete.
1. Dairy, Dairy

A/N: This idea came from... I don't know where it came from. I think it was the shower... Well anyway, I wanted to see what you thought.

**Diary, Dairy**

_Antholl- Camill Road, border close._

_Jade Year_

_I never really understand the things that I go through. The times that I will take as the emperor's only daughter. Misery is ensuing, and I'm sure._

_I am only fourteen, and to be wed. I am not sure who the man is. A prince in Eviary. I think that his name was Enishi. Though my memory is faded. _

_It is said that he is the most handsome thing this side of Gsen. Am I sure? No not all much. But I think that it might be true. It's hard to believe that he could be that beautiful. The reason I say that, is I have seen people that were very nice looking. I will not say if this is true, but what I will say is that this is the last thing I will ever do._

_I have no choice though. Since this is for the peace that our countries need, I will have to except my fate and be this man's wife, while my brother, Sanosuke, will take my father's place when he dies. And, again not really wanting to say, I believe my father is real close and all he wants to see is his little girl be happy. _

_Happy? What does that word mean anymore? I hear it is a smile, that it is a fluttry feeling, but I don't seem to have those about this. I feel my stomach churning in hate. I think it's my age. He is three years older I think, but I don't remember._

The girl stopped her scrathing of the quill when it was taken from her hand. With a scowl the princess put her hands on her hips, her diary sliding off her lap. The man next to her caught the book and set it in his pack turning gently to the girl.

" Stop it," he ordered. " Princess or not, that is annoying,"

Shaking her head, the princess, Kaoru, leaned her head on the horses.

" How droll," she said. The man next to her turned his head.

" Droll? Nothing is better than the forest," he stated.

" Umm..."

" You can't be serious! You don't like the forest?"

" I'd rather poke my eye out with a sword than be out here," she moaned turning over on the horse.

" Your father wouldn't approve of that position,"

" Daddy's not here," she said.

" But I am, and I am a soldier who is to make you follow the rules," he stated and stopped the horse pushing hjer up." Turn around," he commanded.

" No,"

" Turn around, your Highness," he ordered.

" No!"

Kaoru crossed her arms looking over her shoulder to what was ahead. The road was dark and the trees were blocking, but with a hole in trees Kaoru saw the exit to Eviary." Finally!" she exclaimed with wide eyes. The knight next to her shook his head. Well, a knight she thought. There was no doubt that he was of the royal army. Baring their symbol on his armor. However, he was a high rank which was making Kaoru wonder why he was chosen to escort her.

" So knight. Why did you chose this job when subordinates could do it just as simply?" Kaoru asked with a grin.

" I do what I think will be best. It was up to the army to decide your safety, your Grace,"

" Sooooooooooo, you have to obey me since I am high rank than you, correct?" Kaoru asked smiling wider.

" In cases, yes, your Grace," he answered. Kaoru raised a brow, sitting straight from her once improper position.

" Then give me back my diary."

Silence crept from the once ' bustling' conversation. Kaoru cleared her throat and said once more: " Give me the diary," her command was very royal, but the knight at her side stayed silent." Are you deaf?"

" No, your majesty," he answered. " I'm afraid that I must reject your request," he answered matter-of-factly.

" Oh, really?" she asked curiously. " Then I will tell my father about your boarish behavior," she said smuggly. The knight stayed silent. "Aren't you afraid of being downgraded?"

" No," he said sternly. " I have nothing to lose if I lose this position, and I have nothing that I need to support. Since I have a home on the barracks I don't pay for rent. Since they pay for my meals, I will have to find food, but that is not difficult," he answered. Kaoru crossed her arms.

" I liked it better when you were silent," she said. Finally, Kaoru had enough and slipped down the horses side.

" Why do you stop us?" he asked and turned her way. Kaoru noticed that he didn't look much older than she was. Maybe eighteen. " How---how are you an officer?" she asked. Kaoru had never really caught his face at the height she was at on the horse. She did see the crimson locks that was tied neatly at the nape of his neck by a blue bow. The color blue as the symbol of a peace-keeper.

" I made my way up the ranks, your Grace," he answered. " Now, why do you stop our journey?" Kaoru was side-tracked. She wanted her diary, but she wanted this guy more. She didn't know the officers name. But was he ever cute! His face was clear. And his eyes...oh his eyes. They were deep pools of amethyst. " Your Grace," he addressed pulling Kaoru from her day-dream. Where had the meadow gone?

Kaoru shook her head and turned away picking up the many layers of her travel dress and stepping up on the horse. The knight smiled and turned away holding the reins once again and persuading the horse along. He was controlling, and Kaoru would never deny that, but he wanted the best.

Placing her head in her hand Kaoru smiled as she leaned on the horses head. If Enishi was suppose to be handsome, then what would you rate this guy?

After another hour of pulling through the forest they had finally made there way to a clear road. By then Kaoru had gotten over herself, and reclaimed her diary. The problem was the fact that she couldn't write anything. Anything that wasn't pure that is. Even if she was the princess, her diary was like a legal document, it was going to be read and checked and graded, and it was going to be used as instruction and thought, and sooner or later a look upon the past. Little girl or not Kaoru had a very sufficent mind that surpassed most of the lord's and ladies of the court. That was, when she needed to be the royal stuff-shirt that she was surrounded by.

" Your Grace," the knight said clearly. Kaoru turned his way. " The gate needs your conscent to open. I am not authorized," Kaoru raised a brow and looked high up to the men in the tower. There was a man at the bottom.

" Passport miss?" he asked.

" I am Princess Kaoru Kamiya. The daughter of Emperor Kamiya of Antholl, the Sapphire of the West," she announced. Try putting that as a signiture. She had to do it every time.

" Your Highness may enter. I expect this your escort m'lady?" the guard asked. Kaoru gave a small nod as the gate was drawn." Your Majesty, welcome to Eviary," he said and opened the gate.

The blue sky above was sparkling, and only making the large town of Pentrace look like it was paved in golden brick.Tthe sand was glinting and the townspeople were in rich clothing. Pentrace was only the place for high class and wealthy. " Wow," Kaoru was speechless. She had never visited the capitol. " This is..."

" The Golden City," the knight said. Kaoru turned to him. " Droll place really," he said.

" Droll? How can you find this droll? It's so...happy!" she exclaimed. The people were turning to the seal of the Emepror and bowing their heads in appreciation to the Sapphire of the West.

" It gets old your Grace," he said. " You've seen it once, you've seen it a thousand times," he said. Kaoru shook her head.

" You are nuts," she said. The knight pretended not to hear that. She didn't understand the actual financial trouble the city was going through. He sighed and continued easily on the main road stopping another time at the larger, pearl colored gate that entered to the palace that scrapped the skys. There was a balcony resting on a tower, and a man stood there. He was staring at his wife. Staring despartely. For she was beautiful. He signalled the guards to open the gate and the horse continued.

Inside the prince turned to the woman servants that catered to his wim.

" I want you to meet her at the door and make sure she doesn't have to lift a finger," he commanded. They were off and out the large doors that were to his bedroom. The prince once again looked down at his bride and smiled. " Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful," he gaped and felt his heary flutter.

" Remember Highness," the knight began as he lead her in properly. " Etiquette is everything," Kaoru rolled her eyes carrying the man layers as she stepped in one the emerald carpet that welcomed her.

" Princess," a woman bowed.

" Yes?"

" This is from his Highness. As a welcome present," she opened the box while down on one knee. It was a necklace inbedded with the best jewels that was in the country. The woman stood and pulled it from the box placing it on Kaoru.

" I can do it," the young girl said.

" I understand. But Enishi has ordered us to do everything," she said. Kaoru started to walk the knight at her side.

" Warrior. Please come. The general is waiting for you," another woman said. The knight broke from Kaoru and she tunred.

" Can he not come?" she asked as though she harbored feelings.

" No. Highness this is between you and Enishi," she said. And there he was, standing ever so elegantly at the throne with his father and mother sitting in the thrones. There was a woman dressed as fine standing next to him. Her eyes lifeless.

" My queen has arrived," Enishi said clapping his hands together. He had sharp eyes and a wide grin. " My,my. You are the Sapphire of the West. Even more," he walked closer, Kaoru just examining him. He wore satin clothing embrodered with gold. He wore silk gloves as he took Kaoru's hand. His eyes twinkling with delight. Kaoru blushed as he kissed it, but it didn't seem right.

" You're all too flattering Highness," Kaoru said and smiled looking toward the king and queen.

" I will wish you to meet my family Kaoru," he said and turned her to them. His hand was rested on her lower back. Kaoru watched him. Princess or not, she was not going to be degraded. Especially in front of the royal court." My mother, ad my father," he said. The king had weary eeys, creaking a gentle grin an his old features.

" I have heard much on you Sapphire," he said. She was addressed as Sapphire alot by royals. " An intellectual girl to my son," he said and looked to wife.

" Yes. Nice to meet you. A great lady indeed," the queen added. Ensihi then turned his head to the young woman.

" This is my elder sister. Tomoe," he said The woman bowed her head in respect, keeping her hands clasped together at her waist.

" How do you do?" she asked glancing to Kaoru. Taking a step foreward Kaoru and Tomoe looked at each other beofe they cracked wide smiles.

" Fine thank you," she said.

" It seems they will be friends," the king admitted looking at the girls. Tomoe walked backward next to her mother and settled in the smaller throne waiting.

" My bride. Please come. Preperartions are going as we speak. A dress is in need of fitting," The prince took her by the hand and lead her through the door at the side. He seemed to fade somewhat, his smile growing to a frown as though he were dispeased.

" Something wrong?"

" Nothing," his voice ever cold. the servents that followed trembled in fear as they listened and Kaoru noticed.

" Are you ill?" she asked.

" No,"

Kaoru knew not to pester him. Prince Enishi played the goody-two shoes in front of his mother and father, and acted rough away. Kaoru's sense changed that this man was going to be bad. Very bad.

_Eviary-Pentrace, Palace Walls_

_Jade Year_

_Things have changed. Things have terribly changed. At first my groom was kind and warming and welcoming, now he is cold and bitter and heartless. The man is wanting the throne, and I can see it. He is hissing in his words, and the servents are trembling. Everytime I walk in a room with him it seems the temperature drops._

_The rumors of his beauty may be true, but inside you can see he is just as beautiful as a rattlesnack that's been tempted. _

_The knight that was at my side is no longer with me. And to my hearing, will be heading back to Antholl at dawn. Sad, I say. I had a good time with him. I believe by his manner he is of the Lotus or the Honeysuckle House. They both carry that strict rule, but kind demeanor. The men are all considered perfect canidates for husbands. With having a good perfection in cooking and battle. Most knowing to use variety of weapons. By the features I say he'd be Lotus. The eyes that is. I have never seem eyes amethyst except in the Lotus line. If he is who I think he is, the man that escorted me is called Tiger-Lily by the general, and Battosai by the enemy._

_I am rambling about a man who is not my husband. A man that might be betrothed. I must stop. I need to focus on the wedding. But I can't. It's too hard to believe that I have to wed him. Tears fall to think about it. I have a lady who is going to be my friend and my hand-maiden. I except that well._

Kaoru stopped as the girl came up to her.

" Now m'lady," she started in the child voice. " I am Misao. I will help you. The dress has been prepared. Please follow," the young girl said. Kaopru stood from the vanity and walked behind the woman. Well, she was eleven, but she was intellectual for the job that she had. " Come, in here," the girl, Misao, jestered. Kaoru stared. Woman were tayloring the last of the dress. Kaoru marveled. It was made in full silk, the train long after it. It was just her size. Misao presented the crown that held her veil Kaoru falling head over heels aas it was incrusted in icy diamonds. Her fingers laced it as the woman pushed her to a chair. They pulled her to her undergarments and put her in a girdle.( I think that's what it is.) They started with lighter layers on clothing, the dress already reaching past her feet. There was another three layears as she put on the coat and she smiled. It was hot, and would be, but she would take it.

They fixed her hair in a tight bun, little wisps hanging at her neck. Her hair was curled, and decorated with a few sprigs. The crown and veil went on last, after all the make-up. You would never tell that Kaoru was fourteen years old.

They sent her out, the line trailing to the chapel of the palace. Kaoru gulped. There was a silence as several woman went out before her. Waiting at the alter was Enishi, finely dressed. His mother, father and sister all behind.

Kaoru stepped out, the clothing dragging her down as a set of young servants held her train. She struggled a smile as she walked past the people staring at her. They gave awed looks at the young princesses beauty. That made Kaoru's smile seem more real as she made it and stared up into Enishi's eyes.

--

The cermeony had practically ended as Enishi said ' I do'. He placed the ring on her finger and as the words were read Kaoru wondered if she should say I do. Her make-up was running as she sweat, and when the bishop asked the qeustion Kaoru had no choice but to say:

" I do," the crowd started clapping as she went on her toes to kiss the prince. It ddin't seem right though. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the red hair, but it disappeared. She dispared, but still smiled as her new husband lead her down the aisle. She was scared. Frightened. For Kaoru had a feeling she knew what was to become of her.

A/N: I will speed up time soon. I needed this though as a start. I hope you enjoyed. Tell me what you think. This will be a longer update then most. I really want to put myself in thsi one. Click that button please. Till next time. KenSan out!


	2. This is War

A/N: Wow! What turn-out. I think I'm gonna like wiritng this story. Well, since peeps liked the first chappie, time for a second edition. Hope you enjoy!

**This is War**

Three Years After

_Eviary-palace walls, throne/court room_

_Amber Year_

_Oh what a tragedy! I have not been able to wirte in so long. After the coronaton several weeks ago, I have yet to be able to talk. My thought are clouded with the same questions as the new queen. Still only a princess to Antholl, in which my brother has preceded my father. That happen two years ago. Oh what shame! I am busying myself and stepping away from duties._

_Enishi is typical. Cold, dark, away from me. We sleep together, and he barely keeps me warm. And I have yet to get a right feeling when I kiss him. It's just when I do kiss him or..well getting the picture and it's...nothing. I feel so left out. Another thing I am worried about is a child. I understand that an heir must be born, but I can't stand the cruel fate to have his blood in my son...or daughter's veins. I just don't want the child to end up like him._

_War is another issue. It started two years ago, just after my brother gained crown. He is fighting off the Eviary forces well. the problem is, I don't know which side I'm for. I don't want Sanosuke to be a bad emperor, but I don't want Enishi to be a bad king. And God knows that Jubeyn's king is having the time with both Antholl and Eviary. _

_The Orders are starting as well as the war council, which I must participate in. I must bid you adou for now._

With that, Kaoru shut the small diary and set it under her as Enishi took his place. The Orders were the sentaneing of prisoners. After Enishi took control, it seemed that crime was getting worse, or that laws were getting more idotic.

Kaoru stared almost bored as she shifted in the large dress. The collar she wore was high and felt strange against her neck as she had never worn something like this before. Enishi placed his hand on Kaoru's as they started with the Orders.

" You're shifting too much," he hissed between grit teeth. Kaoru scowled then held her head up high. Enishi knew this look. She was mad at him. The reason was the same as well. She was not to be ordered by him, husband or not. Since woman had the same rights as men for fifty years, and that included the queen." Bring in the first case!" Enishi ordered.

Coming from a side door was two guards with a boy struggling in there grasped. He was cussing at the guards and his gaze always hit Enishi's cold eyes. But the thing was, he never once looked to Kaoru in hate. It may be the fact that she was giving him a look of sympathey, or the fact that he just didn't care. After all, Enishi had been there the whole time, and Kaoru had just entered the Eviary territory. Three years was truely considered just entered, especially if you had never done anything wrong.

" The report your Majesty," a guard at his side passed him off. Enishi nodded and looked over it. He slid it to the middle Kaoru glancing without moving her head to the side. She nodded. Pickpocketing the wealthy.

Glancing to the struggling boy they brought him to his knees against his will. " Bow when royalty is in front of you boy!" the guard ordered. It took both of them to shove a, what looked to be, ten-year old boy's head to the ground. Uncompared to most that brought in for the Orders, the boy's clothes were rather fine. Not silk and satin, but fine enough for nobility. " Give a statement as defense and let the king decide your fate," the guard ordered. The boy looked up and growled dangerously as he eyed Enishi. His eyes were a wild cat as he stared and he hissed.

" I am Myojin Yahiko!" he announced. " I am guilty of my crimes. But I have a reason," he said stil having the hiss in his voice.

" Address the king properly," a guard ordered shoving his head to the ground again. Kaoru examined the shackles that graced his ankles and wrists.

" Your Excellency," he mumbled.

" Louder!"

" Your Excellecy!" he yelled and threw himself upward. Throughout the talk Kaoru stayed content.

" Nasty little pickpocket. I have never liked your kind," Enishi said. " I believe a year in prison will shut you up."

" You're biased dear," Kaoru said. The boy looked to her.

" I have the right," he said.

" You're too harsh," Kaoru commanded. Everyone looked as though they could catch flies in their mouthes at Kaoru's statement. She was so bold to Enishi, and not most queen's spoke against their husbands. " Besides.." Kaoru began turning to the boy, "... he is a warriors son. He must have a reason," she said. The boy stared at her, his eyes calming over. Kaoru smiled.

" Thank you your Majesty," he willingly bowed down to Kaoru.

" Maybe something easier," she suggested. " Community service perhaps?" but Kaoru was still thinking as the lord's and ladies gaped. " I think a service in the palace will suffice," she stsaed and smiled wide.

Turning to her husband Kaoru stared him down sharply. As much as Enishi was never scared he knew that Kaoru would never change her mind once she made a desicion.

" A servant it is then," Enishi commanded with annoyance gracing his lips. " Take the boy to the Queen's chamber's. Let Kaoru dear, deal with him," he said. His voice laced sour as hard as he tried to be kind. " What else do we have today?" Enishi barked out. Kaoru watched as they walked Yahiko to the side. He also watched her, his expression was half grateful for a not so long sentance, but half pissed due to what he had to work as.

" There are no more prisoners," a man at his side announced. Enishi nodded.

" Then I need the war council in here," he ordered. Another nod and a man brought in several others who stared wearily at Enishi.

" Your Highness," they address in chorus. Enishi felt proud as they bowed. Kaoru nodded to them giving a smile.

" How are things working?" he asked.

" There is a new battle arising," one said. He was partically hesitant.

" Whom, might I ask?"

" The Lotus of Antholl, and the Boare of Eviary. The two clans have exchanged battle at Sulvin's Creasent,"another announced.

" Sulvin's Creasent?" Kaoru asked fearfully. Enishi glanced her way, his face ever tense. " That is very dangerous. Are you sure? There was a nod from the council.

" You are fearful My Lady.." Enishi's voice now silk,"... and why would that be?"

" Those are two great clans, so many could be lost," Kaoru said.

" Yes, but we can always send more," he said in enjoyment. There was even a gulp coming from the council. " I think of this as a game," he said knitting his fingers together. " The better clans we crush, the more land we claim," he announced. There were nods as everyone wanted their heads on their shoulder's, but Enishi was too happy, almost a drunk giddy.

" Sire...if I may?" a man asked sweeping to the ground.

" Procide," he said. The man was sweating.

" The Lotus is defeating the Boare at the moment, by the spy we have placed," Enishi nodded.

" Send more forces then," he announced. " If we do this right, the Lotus will fall. That will leave Antholl in dispare."

" Insult as you will," Kaoru said. " But not to my country," she announced strongly. " Do it in your time," her voice grew louder, sourer.

" You act as though you're actually losing something," he said. His glare grew as did his grin. Kaoru knew the look. ' Later' is what it said.

" Yeah your Missy-ness," an unknown voice said.

Kaoru's gaze struck far as the council moved out of the way. Widening her eyes Kaoru smiled.

" Sano!" she yelled. Her manners were becoming loose.

" Jou-chan," he walked up and Kaoru stood from the throne and forced herself over. She hugged her tall brother tightly and looked deeply into his chocolate eyes. " Now what is this about destroying the Lotus?" he asked. His tone grew colder and Kaoru backed away. Her brother was dressed finer than she ever saw. There was a sword at his side, though he was better with his hands than anything.

" All's fair in war," Enishi cackled.

" You keep mind that my sister is from your enemies side," he hissed. " If she is harmed in any way.."

" I assure you, this is nothing against Kaoru dear," he said. The nick-name was getting old.

" I dismiss myself ," Kaoru said. " Tell me when my help is required," Kaoru gained her composure and held her dress as she walked to the right. Sanosuke looked at her and followed.

After they exited the doors Kaoru seemed to collaspe in the nearesty velvet chair.

" Jou-chan," Sanosuke cooed softly. She was crying. " Sis, what's wrong?" he asked.

" It's nothing," she reassured.

" Don't tell me it's nothing," he whispered going to one knee, placing his hands on her shoulders. " I know when it's nothing. And I know when you're mad," he said. " Now tell me. I'm your brother, I can help you," he said. Kaoru looked deeply into his eyes as she sniffed.

" I just don't know.." she began. The tears caused her voice to crack." This is just so..."

" I know that its hard. But there is nothing that can be done. War is not easy Jou-chan..."

" We shouldn't have war!" she yelled. Sanosuke looked to the carpet and then took a seat next to her. " I married this...this...ogre!" she screamed. " I married him to stop this..." her voice sank very low as did her head into her dress. Sanosuke patted her visable back as the neckline of the dress covered her head. Kaoru was so happy before this. It is hard on her. Married at fourteen. She didn't know well how to rule. She didn't know how tough war was on you. Their father was different before the battles with Jubeyn . His heart as ever stone after that.

" I know Jou-chan. But the only reason all are at war is a power struggle," he said. " The economic of each hangs. I know. Antholl has great land of prosperous harvest. Jubyen's seas holds mighty fish. But Eviary, though beautiful, has not much to offer but the work of black-smithes and farmers' heards," he said softly. " Enishi started this, and that is certain. He struck on the intersect of all three. I presume without you knowing. His father was ill, which put him in control until his death," Sanosuke stated. Kaoru's attentiveness never faultered.

" I know that much," Kaoru said strongly. " I know well. Jubeyn has always wanted our soil, Eviary has wanted both, and we never wanted anything. We may not be beautiful, but we are grand," Kaoru said. Her tears had yet to cease. " I don't know what to think," Kaoru said.

" You seemed all too concerned over the Lotus House," Sanosuke announced. " There is something you're worried over?" her asked. Kaoru thought deeply. Should she tell him the lingering over the soldier? Shaking her head Kaoru followed with:

" The only thing I worry about, is the Lotus itself," she straightened her back. " They are the best, not many should be lost. Especially not to the wives," she said. Sanosuke nodded.

" This is war Jou-chan," Sanosuke said. He too was choking up. " There is nothing else that I can say," he said. Kaoru looked out ther shut door and sighed gravely.

" I must go. You need to speak to Enishi, I have affairs elsewhwere," she said. Yes, she had a affairs. Her chamber was calling her. And her pillow...well, it was ready to be screamed into.

A/N: I probably sound too adult, and I don't know much about a royal court. I'm goin' on instinct here alright? I hope ya enjoyed. Till next time. KenSan out!


	3. Tiger Lily

A/N: Well, I'm so glad that peeps like this. I have to sat when I thought of this, and I thought that it would be bad because...well it's a royalty thing. So I didn't know. Glad to see that people enjoy this. I'm blabbin' so..here we go!

**Tiger-Lily**

As Kaoru and Enishi were talking with the delegates about the war. It was going on very strong. And as it was stated, It was at Sulvin's Cresent and fought very strongly.

The Lotus had already waited there. Even if this wasn't their territory, it was still a very easy place to fight, strange as that may be. They waited in a bunch. There was one man in front, a red-headed man who kept this determined look on his face. " Tiger," one addressed. He didn't even look up. " Are you certain of this?" the man asked. It was basically like Tiger-Lily's assistant, if you will. The job also tended to be filled, oh...every three weeks, sometimes giving or taking days.

" Completely. And I trust the others are ready?" Tiger asked not cracking an expression.

" Of course, sir," Tiger-Lily was addressed like a General, practically one if you put it into perspective seeing that he was trained specially by the general.

His past was a very strange origin that not many of the men surrounding him knew. It started when he was ten years old, when he was taken from his parants as a draft you might say. Later that night to run back and find they had both been murdered in their home. His face was cold after that, and with not much to live for he put all of his work into the training of an army-man. That was when things got strange. His power increased and so did his learning. By eleven he had already surpassed most of the men in his class. The teacher moved him up to a private teacher where they tried to slow down his learning, but he was learing very quickly. That teacher was staring at a boy who was thirteen years old, and almost as good as he. The man had consulted the general, Hiko Seijuro, and asked for the boy to be placed with a house seeing as he had interestng skill. Hiko agreed after seeing the child in action, giving him up to the Lotus for his features as well. Hiko never told anyone but Tiger-Lily himself that he was actually of the Lotus blood-line. That his father was a dud to fighting and wasn't excepted into the army. The elite army. After that, Hiko personally took on the child and taught him a style that he was only allowed to teach on apprentice. To this day now Tiger-Lily has been called many things, many considering him the Grim Reaper himself due to how many men fall by his hand. So many certainly strive to beat him so they can have the glory, and only two times has anyone even knicked him and that was right on his left cheek.

The story was so complicated that Tiger-Lily himsefl had trouble sorting it out. His memories he tried to keep behind him, seeing as he really lost his childhood when he was forced into war. " Sir," the man said again and Tiger-Lily turned a shoulder staring the man down. He didn't flinch, seeing as he was one to give Kenshin the first knick on his face. Akira Kiyosato was a dangerous man, and for once they might have choosen someone who would last for a while as an assistant.

" Yes?"

" Is there anything coming?" he asked monotonely. These two had to keep restrained from one another. Hiko paired them for a reason. One: Fighting ability, and Two: If they could ever get along.

" Yes. They are straight ahead. The Boare by my guess. Hundreds. Enough for use to take." there was a hollow hiss escaping Tiger-Lily's lips. Many people shuddered at that sound. There weren't many men as cold, and stone-faced as he.

" What formation?" Akira asked. Tiger loosened the katana at his side by the tsuba and stared outward. " Well," he asked.

" Rose," Tiger said.

" Rose? Ae you sure, that is a risky-"

" Rose," Tiger said calmly again. Akira had no choice but to abide by Tiger-Lily's order. He turned to the men and pointed out their positions. Of course Tiger-Lily was in front, Akira at his side." How close?" he asked.

" Too,"

" About-"

" Not far. Not sure," he answered. Akira nodded.

" Less than a kilometer?"

" Much. But that will give time for the assault," Akira heard the sourness in the leader's voice. He didn't like to hurt anyone, but for the good of the countires he had to.

" Alright," there they were. In the horizon men marched with their weapons out. When each of the clans caught sight the leaders held arms out to hold their men back and walked forward.

" We will start this like gentlemen," started the stock yman beofore Tiger.

" Of course. I expect no less,"

" Draw your weapon," the man growled. Obeying, Tiger placed it foreward to were their weapons crossed. They looked out of the corner of their eyes and stared back at each other.

" To the end?" Tiger-Lily asked.

" To the end," the man agreed and each moved back to their men.

" Everything set?" Akira asked.

" He's over-confident," Tiger announced. Akira nodded. " They ars strong and I believe the reason he's over-confident is there are hidden weapons. Keep your eyes open alright?" Akira nodded again.

" When you want to start!" the man yelled out. Tiger-Lily stared and ran out with his sword sheathed.

" Might help if you have your weapon!" a few men mocked. As the leader came at Tiger and swung he jumped above him and over to where all the men were charging. The battle had begun.

" Is that the best you can give me?" Tiger-Lily roared as he unseathed his sword. He had moved on from the leader, seeing as his men would easily take him on. Not many saw the glint of his sword before they were lying at his feet. Lowering his eyes, Tiger stared as the men battled and examined the field. The Lotus were taking the best of the cresent that made the green scenery seem horrid.

" Disgusting!" he heard Akira moan. A man had spit in his eye. " So much for fair play," he gripped and moved back arching his arm behind his back taking out a different utensil. That was why he would be very useful. Expert in archery, as well as swordsmanship. He let an arrow go. An unsuspecting Boare soldier was struck in the back falling over. He had already accomplished his task though. Throwing a Lotus into the cresent. Tiger-Lily turned angered and jumped up into one of the trees telling Akira to follow. The other men took their advantage following the leader and jumping in blending kindly into the trees.

" What's wrong?" Akira asked. Tiger- Lily motioned his head to the cresent.

" A kin is lying there," he answered.

" Whom?"

" Sou-chan," he answered. " We need to get him," turning back to the battle below the Boare were struggling with the trees. They had summoned their dogs that would attack on sight of any man that it had not learned. Again Tiger let out his growl. " Give me that kinfe of yours," he ordered. Akira passed it over. " Do you have rope?" he asked. Akira nodded. " Good. Attatch to the end of your arrow. Aim for that tree over there and shoot on my mark," he ordered. Akira was already arched a few seconds after he stated the order. Tiger was cuttting a small slice into his own skin on his arm.

" Are you mad?" he asked. Tiger-Lily had not even fliched at the pain. He gazed at the blood that hung on the dagger and looked over his shoulder.

" Hounds," Akira rasied his brow

" What?"

" The hounds mostly head for blood of a wounded soldier. This should be enough. I have another dagger," He pulled out that placing it in the wound and pulling it out again. It's edge seeped with blood. " Perfect," he aimed and threw it over his shoulder. The rustle itself sent the dogs going. Throwing the second in another direction, Tiger ordered Akira to shoot. He let the held arrow go and it burrowed into the tree bark. " I'll be back. Keep the dogs busy. Your blood and an arrow should do," he stated. Akira nodded but cringed thinking of how, and why he would intentionaly injure himself. Tiger-Lily had used his sheathe to the sword and slid across jumping down to the cresent and staring at a moaning Soujiro." Sou-chan," he hissed.

" Tiger?" a bleary voice came.

" Yes. I have rope," he told after he untied it from the arrow. Soujiro lifted to look at the leader, face not being made out for the mess of hair. "Take this," he said. Soujiro pulled on with all his might and climbed up. Tiger took his hand and ppulled him the rest of the way. The drips of blood that resided in a trail from the tree attracted a dog and it's owner.

" So the leader is here. I'll bring the death of the Grim Reaper! Once and for all!" he shouted. Tiger-Lily shove Soujiro out of the way as the man threw a substance at him. It stuck around his eyes in a spiderwebby way and blinded him. " Immortality I shall find," the man laughed and shoved Tiger-Lily over the side sending him into the gourge.

A/N: Now if you can't figure out who Toger-Lily is, well...I don't know, but's it's the name he's given till his real is mentioned. I hope you like. R & R Till next time. KenSan out!


	4. I Need Help!

A/N: Okay...people likee! Yay! Okay, yes tiger is short for Tiger-Lily, just something I do i guess. This will switch scenes kay? i hope you enjoy!

**I Need Help!**

Kaoru had been in her room...God knows how long. It was mostly silence, except for Yahiko fingering all of her things in which she had to swat his hand away. Tears streamed down her face. She hated war. It was like right when she became queen something had to break loose.That there had to be something horrible going on.

A knock came at her door and she shot her head up saying: " You have permission to enter." Oh the reagil way. The door opened to a guard and Kaoru stared at him. " Yes?" she asked

" His Higness requests the precense of your Majesty," he stated. Kaoru looked back at Yahiko and nodded as she stood from the fluffy bed.

" Tell him I will be there momentarily," the guard gave a stiff bow to her and turned closing the door.

" You don't like the guy, do ya?" Yahiko asked. Kaoru glared.

" Watch your tounge," she yelled, her voice now less stiff. " You don't want to be in anymore trouble than you already are. I saved the butt of yours once," Yahiko rolled his eyes and turned away.

"T he last thing that anyone would want to see on a postage stamp is you," he mumbled. Kaoru stood fully and went out the door. Her mind was on what Enishi would want with her. Typically he only called her near night time. She was afraid he was mad at her for leaving, and for showing that she could stand up to him. Like said before, a queen typically never spoke up to her king. Growling, Kaoru's footsteps grew louder as she neared the throne room. Guards watched her. The face may have been still, and her hands holding her dress, but her feet had a mind of their own.

A guard opened the door and she nodded to him. In the throne room was the same thing that she had left. Delegates discussing matters of war, and all that. " You summoned me my King," Kaoru addressed. It felt stupid to bow to her husband, but she did.

" Yes. Lord Shun has something he would like to tell you," Kaoru turned to an old man who stood in the crowd. A delegate from Antholl.

" Shun?" Kaoru asked. He nodded in confrimation and then came forward.

" My Sapphire. Please, forgive me in this contraversal news," he dropped to one knee. " We have recieved word, by bird, from Soldier Soujiro Seta of the Lotus clan. He has informed us that they have won the battle in retreat, but lost their daring leader Tiger-Lily," Kaoru went wide-eyed, but remained calm.

" How so?"

" He was saving Lord Seta from the crevice, and was put in himself. He fell," Lord Shun was shaky as he looked back into Kaoru's eyes. Not only could you see that she had been crying, but that she was crying now.

" Lost Tiger-Lily, yes?" she asked. Shun nodded once again and rose to his feet. " Then...put someone closest in his place," she ordered.

" A wise move," Enishi responded cooley. Kaoru looked at Enishi. His eyes twinking like there was something good coming out of this. Then again, getting rid of Battosai was a feet in itself. It must have taken a God to do this.

" Is there anything else?" Kaoru asked raising her head to show that she was not crying.

" Sis, come on. With me," Sansuke gestered and she followed.

--

The clankings of an old coach rumbled on a downward hill as fst as the wind could take it. One horse hauled along a large carriage that was unpainted. Inside bottles struggled to stay in there locked cabinets, whilst other things moved lazily about. The carriage had only one thing on it. Painted in red paint was: Medicine Merchant Megumi. Yes, young Megumi Takani was a phsycian. She was one of the few women physicain's from Eviary as Enishi didn't think that a woman could be superior in medicine. Oh how he was wrong. But, Megumi wasn't a brain as much as she seemed. And he driving skills were...debateable.

" I'm comin' Ken-san!" she yelled out trying to hold the reins as her horse spead downward. " I'm a comin'!" she was bouncing on her seat as she stared foreward. She was trying hard as well to keep her hat on. " Don't you die on me!" she yelled.

She was real close to Sulvan's Cresent and was prepared to get Tiger-Lily. Her Ken-san.

Megumi was also the head of a clinic on the border's of Antholl and Eviary. She typically cared for any man, woman or child that was brought into her care. She delivered bad news carefully, always telling them of the good fortune that they still possessed. And she always believed that someone was never dead unless she saw it. Right now an instinct hit her saying that Tiger-Lily was still alive. " Can't you go any faster you dumb horse!" Megumi scolded. " Pull the carriage. It's not that heavy!" she scolded leaning forward. Whinying, the horse galloped harder. " Now we're talkin'!"

It was thirty minutes later she saw the cresent in sight. There was blood and other unidentifiable body parts strewn about. " Lovely," she stated jumping of the seat. Although she could withstand the sight and smell of blood, these heavy war amounts were alot for even her to handle. " Stay here Muffin," she coaxed glancing around. Wind pushed the grass over and a small glint shown by the setting sun covered by thick clouds of smoke from the victory.

Stepping over, Megumi picked up a small knife and read the inscrption. " Live by the sword, and die by the sword," she recited. The saying for the Lotus clan as they were to serve the emperor and die for their country as they were loyal. " Ken-san," she hissed setting the knife down again. She went back and grabbed rope placing it over her shoulder to carrying, Megumi watched her feet walking over to the crevice, as not to harm any of the pieces.

When she peered down, the crevice was deep, but there were ledges to be caught. " Hello?" she asked. It echoed off of the walls. " ken-san?"

" Ummmm..." a voice drawled off.

" Ken-san?"

" ' Gumi?"

Exstaic, Megumi looked around and saw him lying on a small ledge. His head lulled to look forward, though she wouldn't really considering it _looking_ rather then sensing. " I'm up here Ken-san. Can you get out?" she asked. Tiger coughed and shook his head.

" Something's up with my shoulder," he rasped.

" Alright. I'm comin' down!" she yelled ad tied the rope around a tree looking down to Tiger-Lily. " Going down..." she murmurred and shopved her feet against the side as she shimmied down. Tiger had his head turned to her presence as she reached the bottom.

" 'Gumi?" he asked.

" Yes. Come on. I'll get you up," she put his arms around her shoulders noting that the fall had dislocated his right shoulder. " I see what you mean," she whispered. " Hold on tight okay?" she asked.

" Yeah."

" One good thing about you-" she said pulling up on the rope that was barely holding. " -you don't weigh squat." she grit her teeth as she reached the edge. Sun broke through some of the smoke as it continued to dunk down. " Finally," she laid Tiger-Lily on the ground scanning throughly to his eys covered in a weeby substance. " Damn. Budgeby bomb," she cursed quietly to herself as she picked the warrior up, waddling over to the carriage. " I never thought that you would get hurt,"

" Sorry Megumi," he apologized. Megumi gave a crooked smile laying him in the back. Nothing had broken this time.

" No sorry's for war. Sorry won't solve the fact that this happened," Megumi stated closing the wood door to the back of her caariage. " Now, let's see. Budgeby bomb, budgeby bomb. Ah! Here we are," she pulled out a small pink vial. " Close you eyes Ken-san. This will sting some," she announced. Unplugging the bottle of foul smelling liquid, she poured it gently over where the webby substance lay. " This should do it," she stated. Quickly did it begin to dissolve. " Yay," Megumi chipped off the rest. " Do not open your eyes alright Ken-san?" Megumi asked. Tiger-Lily gave a simple nod to her as she shuffled around. " Here we are," her presence was clear with sense. Megumi lifted his head and wrapped guaze around. " I don't know what lasting effects will cause. Whether it was a direct or indirect attack..." she drawled off. " With luck like yours, you should regain your sight after a week or two. In worst case scenario, you may be blind," there was another small nod and shrug. " Okay, for your shoulder," she popped the dislocation back in after a moment. She slung it up and placed a blanket over him. " You better start eating more. you're becoming a rail." megumi scolded.

" Yes ma'am," it was more or less a comply, but there was a hint of sarcasm.

" Kenshin..." he laughed.

" Sorry, sorry," Megumi walked to to the door and hopped out.

" I'll drive easy okay? You sleep," she ordered. Kenshin nodded gently and took note of a small light change. the cart started up a minute later. A little shaky, but he'd slept in worse.

--

Kaoru stayed in pace with her elder brother as she walked the garden pathway. The arouma was tantilizing, and made her mind a little more calm. Sanosuke was anything but interested as his hand held the sheathe of his sword. " I don't see who that guy thinks he is," Sanosuke growled. " Thinks cause he's a king he can just go around and do anything he wants. Well I'll give him one for. Especially since Kenshin..." his hand clenched tightly and he shook it then rested it at his side with the name. Sanosuke had his eyes closed and calmed his fast breaths. " Kenshin..." the name was in mourn.

" Kenshin was the leader?" Kaoru asked.

" Yes. One of the nicest men you'd ever meet too. Strange how someone so kind could be so good at war," Sanosuke marvelled.

" He's sounds too good to be true,"

" It seemed so sometimes. Trustworthy of a friend," Sanosuke turned when he heard footsteps behind, Kaoru following the motion.

" Lord Sano," Enishi said almost too informal. " I need to speak with my wife alone if you will." his eyes twinkled.

" Of course," although voice still his eyes watched over his shoulder to his little sister. " Dearest-" he said turning her to begin on the path again. " Just who do you think you are?" he growled when Sanosuke was out of range.

" What?"

" How dare you speak up to me! In my court!" he yelled.

" I-I." those eyes were hatred. Sheer, cold, undeniable hatred.

" Have nothing now to say woman?!" he asked very shrill.

" Enishi..." he slammed her to a tree, her hair falling down from the crown.

" Guards! Out of here! Now!" they scurried at Enishi's command. " Little bugs.." he murmurred. " Now my dearest flower," he cackled."I want an answer from you!" he barked. Kaoru closed her eyes as he gripped her arms. " Well!"

" I was only saying my mind Enishi," Kaoru studdered.

" Saying...your...mind?" he laughed between words and released her. The young queen was sweating up a storm. Enishi was bound in hysterical laughter. " Saying your mind..." he said again. He turned to her, a grin wiping away as he looked into her eyes. " You shoud never say your mind woman!" he yelled. " You are there to serve as a peacemaker. You are there as a bond between Eviary and Antholl! You are nothing more! If you think you can do my job, I'll make sure you are beheaded! All you need to do is sit there and look pretty. is that understood?" Enishi once again grabed her arms. He shook her as he asked again: " Is that understood?!" Kaoru nodded just barely and Enishi let her go. " Recide wench. What is this world coming to?" he asked. As he walked away he looked over his shoulder. " Is this how you were brought up?! A pig woman?!" Kaoru only looked to her lap as she fell to the grass. Tears wet her cheeks, and she couldn't help but make her silent cries audible. She may have sounded seven, but she couldn't do anything else.

" My lady!" a young voice yelled. Misao, her handmaiden, rushed holding an emerald gown to her friend from the eastern entrance. " Kaoru, are you alright?" Kaoru leaned her head to the tree trunk. " Here. Take this," she handed Kaoru a handkerchief.

" Thank you," she let out.

" Would you like me to get Sano?" Kaoru shook her head.

" He doesn't need to know." Kaoru stated.

" But..Kaoru? Are you going to let him get away with this?" Misao sat down with her friend who leaned on her.

" I have no choice. The bohemith can do whatever he wants. He's the king," Kaoru placed her face in Misao's shoulder.

" I wish we could do something," Misao mumbled.

" Only if there's a legitamate eye to the incident. Victims and friend's of do not count. That's how his courts go,"

" That's dumb," Kaoru smiled at the word.

" I need to go. Dinner is soon," Kaoru stated. She wiped her tears away and started to the main door. Guards had reentered and watched the queen bowing to her.

_If anyone's a pig it's Enishi_. Kaoru thought. He had never been this harsh. _ What's wrong?_ she asked herself entering the palace. _What?_

A/N: What is wrong indeed? And will kaoru find that kenshin is not dead? Find out soon! Till next time! KenSan out!


	5. Run

A/N: Veen some time ain't it. Well, as much as I like writing on Fanfiction, I enjoy reading there too. Soooooo, I've been doing reading which is slowing down my writing time. I think that I might get in alot of time now, considering all the circumstances. Well, I hope you enjoy this.

**Run...Run...Run**

It was an unmistakable feel of horror raging in Kaoru's body after that. She calmly sat at dinner sipping down soup across from her husband who was drinking red wine. Things were going from bad to worse. That's all that happened when he got drunk. Sighing, Kaoru decded to retreat, but as she stood Enishi coaxed her down. " Finished so soon my dear?" he asked with a Cheshire cat like grin.

" Y-yes. I'm going back to my quarter." she stated trying not to make the shake raging in her voice audible to her husband. That would only make what was going to happen so much more painful.

" I see. I guess I'll meet you there." he wasn't going to stop her. Really this whole thing was a game to him. It was just a really fun game. The reason it was so fun? Only he knew the rules.

Snickering, Enishi tipped the glass at his lips but never did he take a sip. There was somethig about Kaoru that was starting to irritate him. It didn't make any sense. He scared the hell out of her earlier, just to set her in place. The last thing he expected was her actually do what he set out to accompish. Enishi growled and slammed the glass on the table a drop of it staining the lacy white cloth. " Who does that women thinks she is?" he growled. " You can't hide any emotions from me Sapphire," he started to stormed to the main foyar. " You can't hide anything at all."

--

" Wakey wakey Ken-san. Come on, wake up for me...pleeeeeasssssssssssee." the voice, begging, nagged at the red head and he lifted up holding his head. From the sensation, a blanket was drapped over his lower body and a pillow was against his back. He must have fallen into a deeper sleep than he realized.

" Megumi-dono?" he asked.

" Ummmhmmm." a giggle came from another woman.

" Tsubame-chan." Megumi gave that testy voice.

" Tsubame?" Kenshin questioned.

" Yes, she is my live-in apprentice. And she can make some of the best dishes I've tasted. Speaking of...don't you have something for him Tsubame?" the foxy voice was overwhelming for Kenshin. His mind was still foggy from everything that had occured lately. The battle at the cresent? What happened? He couldn't remeber. He remembered saving Soujiro; that wasn't really a difficult task. then he was shoved in and landed on a ledge. Was that right? He kept questioning himself as Megumi tapped his shoulder to get his attention.

" Would you like help Ken-san?" she asked. Shaking no, Kenshin smiled and grabbed the chopsticks beginning to eat. " You work as though you've been blind before.

" I've been hit by a budgeby bomb before." he told her.

" Oh, what happened? Well- I'm mean, why were you hit?"

" Shishou did it. To challenge me. "

" So it was on purpose, as a test?" the shock that grasped Megumi's voice was flaring as ever second passed. The energy that she emit from just one tellin was really easy for him to spot.

Trying to gather his words, Kenshin swallowed and said: " Well, it's not good to just learn, but endure. If you know what you're up against, it makes it easier to know how to take the best course of action the second time." he took another bite. He was right. Megumi, at least when she was faced with something she had never seen before, figured out by narrowing down and then when the person left wrote it down to know exactly what she should do if it should come up again. Kenshin was wise beyond his years, she couldn't deny that.

Turning around, Megumi closed the curtain to Kenshin's bed. He was patient, and therefore needed his privacy. " Had it happen before huh?" she asked between a laugh and a sob. " Then what will a second time do. No one's faced this before." The reason be, no one could take the poison that would emit from he bomb when it made contact. She was scare as she mumbled to herself. " Ken-san..." tears pricked. "... can you make it?"

--

Kaoru swallowed very hard as she stripped down to just a simple silky gown that you could practically see through. If she made it look like it was what she wanted, then maybe he would reject it and things would go smoothely. Gulping, Kaoru heard his footsteps; Enishi drew near. She pulled her hair down and placed the crown on her vanity. Finally she braided it as fast as her fingers would let her and slowed when the door clicked open.

" My sweet," Enishi purred and peeked to his wife. " Are we getting ready?" he came over and placed his gloved hands over her shoulders reaching to her ear. " You look ravenous my sweet." Kaoru shuddered but kissed him nonetheless. " You are very in the moment, Give me some time dearest, well head to my bedroom."

Separte bedrooms for the two when Enishi wasn't ' in the mood'. Kaoru was glad when he wasn't which was three-fourth's of the time. Swallowing another large ball of saliva that practically choked her, Kaoru gazed into her crystalline mirror and scream when she saw a half-naked Yahiko looking at her.

" Busu, what's up?" Kaoru held her hand at her chest and sucked in breath as fast as she could.

" What do you think you're doing sneaking up on me like that?" she asked still spooked.

" Hey, I just came from the springs." he wiped off his hair while he hiked up his towel as not to reveal anything to the teenage queen. " They're nice. You guys could make a profit."

" It's ours, no one elses. Now go, Enishi will be here any minute."

As Yahiko exited, Enishi entered and smiled. He was in a cape and nothing more, Kaoru smiled. ' _Grin and bear it'_ she told herself over and over again. '_ Grin and bear it.'_

" Now my darling. Come with me?" he extended a hand and his voice was a purr that hid deceit. Kaoru stood and walked to him, accidently tripping into his arms. " You are such a playful little creature aren't you?" he asked kissing her. Her eyes went half lidded, and she did all she could not to knee him in his groin. He began, almost as a dance with her through the halls which he had ordered empty. They galloped down the stairs and he went to the back.

" Where- where are we -g-going." it was hard for her to get a word out with him running kisses on her neck. Enishi put his head near her cleavage his hand rising as he forced her to the springs. He dropped the cape and lead her like she was under his spell. " My queen. You are so radient when you try to be stoic." Kaoru became scared. He knew her secret. Her secret to success one might say.

Suffocation enveloped her as Enishi tried desparetely to pull..no.. rip her gown off. her hair had already fallen and she was practicaly lifeless in his arms to the heat of the spring. " Come now my dear. Give daddy what he wants."

Oh god the pain, the torment, and she felt it. The tremendous feeling of insecurity she had now. Her mouth was dry, and her face was pale. She was slumped in the spring as Enishi pulled her out. " Now dear. What was thaty about free will or something?" he cackled and dropped her in again. " Don't think you can double cross me. And that boy?" Kaoru's eyes widened in her almost drunk stupor. " He'll be dead. Tomorrow morning, my dear. Say your good-byes."

Kaoru gazed as the guards kept ahold of Yahiko who throttled to keep away. His hands were tied behind his back and finally one clubbed him to knock him away from the concious world. Kaoru cried, she cried like no tomorrow and finally she passed out herself in all the agony.

" Kaoru? Kaoru?" Misao asked. The voice was tunneled and hardly audible. " Kaoru?" she asked again.

" Misao-chan?" Kaoru asked. Her forehead was covered with a cloth and she babbled to herself endlessly and cried into a handkerchief, Misao at her side.

" That..TYRANT!" she bellowed.

" Misao...he'll here you."

" Well, good." she huffed and continued to wipe her friend's forehead. Kaoru coughed and looked at her legs which ached at just moving. A bit of blood seeped as she stood and limped to walk. " Kaoru. You need to stay down and rest. Your body.."

" I don't care." the tears had made her face numb and she struggled to hang to a wall. " I'm getting out of here, and I will find that warrior that brought me here. I'll give that man a piece of my mind. I...I...I need someone too protect me." she balled and fell to floor. " I ant him. I want that warrior." she said muffled to her soaking wet dress. " I need to save Yahiko." she said and stood . " Misao, get me a travel dress. Something that the public wears. And a cloak, alright?" Misao nodded and ran to collect the items. Kaoru brushed out her hair grabbing a fan. She kept it a braid and turned to Misao undressing and redressing. It was a dark green, almosty like pine. She placed the cloak over her shoulder and hooked it.

" Will I see you Kao?" she had to ask.

" You want to come? I would like a friend." Misao nodded and ran down the velvetty marble steps in tow of her friend as they followed down the mounds of steps and corridors, and god the doors. There had to have been thousands, and not a guard in sight. Kaoru grabbed a torch as she reached the the cement dungeon. A smell of a rotting who knows what reached their noses. The sense of terror and break-down carresed them. It was hard to see, even with the light of the torch, and she would walk into a puddle or touch mold every now and then.

" Why do you have a dungeon like this?" Misao yelped when she heard a bat fly.

" It's Enishi," she said wiping away a spider-web. " Not me."

" He's creepy." Kaoru didn't respond as she got the keys from the guard which took a little womanly charm, and alot of butt-kicking action. He was too easdy. Unlocking the cell containing her friend, Kaoru coaxed Yahiko out, but decided to go out the back door.

The forest was surrounded in the far by a wall and Kasoru ran climbing up with her friends at her tail. Yahiko reached first and helped the young queen. She still had tears running. Standing, Kaoru looked at the palace she once thought grand. Clutching her cloak she began to run as she climbed down. Her legs hurt. She could still feel the blood and the seman mixing. It was a powerful feeling, but the feeling was more as she thought of who did it. It forced her to run, even in the shoes hich had a small heel to them. Yahiko and Misao clasped hands trying to keep up with the scared princess. " Where are you going?" Misao managed when Kaoru stopped for a breath and to take a drink from the stream. She was a princess, but she knew how to do anything a povertious person culd. She pulled a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at her face. It was dirty and scuffed and a hickie was on her neck. Enishi was really rough. Wiping away tears that no longer belinged, she answered.

" To..." it was hard to talk as she thought about were Tiger-Lily might have went if he survived. " ..To..." someone whi would care." Megumi's Medicine."

A/N": Kaoru's out of Enishi's clutched, but for how long? With an execute vitcim gone and the queen a manhunt will ensue. I really got choked upm, and my mom and friends helped me with describing teh dungeon. I hope you liekd it as mucvh as I did...( I cried...almost) Til, mext time, KenSan out!


	6. The Princess as A Pauper

A/N: Yes, Enishi is horrible. I also read the last of Ruro-Ken and I loved it. Now all I have todo is get twenty five more volumes to complete my collection. ( I want um all so I can refer when I need to) I'm sad. Well, I got that out and I know you don't care, so, here we go!

**A Princess as a Pauper**

The woods were nothing to be afraid of. Kaoru glanced around as she walked over roots and cracked small twigs. Misao held onto Kaoru's cloak, Yahiko at her side holding a small lantern as it was still dark. " Do you know where we're going Kao?" Misao asked peaking over her friends shoulder.

Kaoru's head fell to her chest as she closed her eyes trying to imagine the warrior that had brought her on the same path that they were on now. He had this flaming hair tied back in a peacemaker's blue bow. His eyes were violet and he was tanned. Since it was three years ago he had to have been in his early twenties by now at least. Kaoru opened her eyes and looked ahead maneuvering to the main road instead of the forest that was at it side.

" Hai. We need to get to the border though. That will only take a day from here, ne?"

" This is the main road princess," Yahiko addressed properly," If I'm not mistaken, there should be a small passover town called Lurait that has some nice inn's." he said. Kaoru nodded and looked ahead in the darkness. She had hardly adjusted to the dark, but light began to creep slowly above the horizon giving it a pink tinge at the rise while the rest of the sky still glowed a light blue.

Misao whimpered for a moment releasing her friend's cloak and walking to her side. " How bad?" Misao whispered.

" Nani?"

" How bad was it?"

Misao wrung her hands and stared at her feet as she asked the question. Kaoru gripped part of her dress and stop.

" It was.." she turned back to see a small version of the castle she departed from. " Bad, very bad." Yahiko sat on a rock picking up a piece of wood and twirling it in his fingers.

" Hey, pea brain. Don't ya get it. The princess doesn't want to talk about it." Yahiko asked in a hiss. Misao sat down on a rock adjusting herself on the sharp top and crossing her arms.

Kaoru kneeled on the ground after spreading her cloak to sit. She sulked and winced trying hard to forget about the experiance that she was just losing. " Misao-chan. Gomen, it's hard to say." she twisted more of her dress. She began to laugh a bit while tears streamed down her face.

A rustle came in the trees and Kaoru froze in her place. Automatically Misao jumped stealthily-like to her friend putting her hands in front of her and spreading her fingers prepared to fight what it was. Yahiko stood and looked to the top as leaves fell from the trees. There was a blur above him. Only one causing this much noise. Clenching his fists, Yahiko drew a dagger from his belt and held tight as he closed in on Kaoru. " Show yourself!" Yahiko roared into the night. What he and the rest of this little group feared was that Enishi had sent forces to retrieve Kaoru and he seeing as he was a prisoner.

He turned when something stepped on the ground. The face wasn't visable, and Kaoru really didn't want to looked as she crouched down in fear. There was something odd about Misao's behavior as she stood and gazed at the person. She gave a small whistle and one came back to her. She began to run to the figure and hugged it tighty.

" Konichi' wa Aoshi-sama." she said enclosing harder. He put his arms around her then pried her off looking to Kaoru.

Finally, feeling it was safe, Kaoru looked up and saw his face as he took a step closer. His icy blue eyes shined in the moonlight that was left. His dark bangs falling into his eyes as he looked at her rather skepically. He twitched for a moment, then placing his arm over his chest he bowed to her saying. " Your Excellency."

" W-who?" studdered Kaoru standing with her legs shaking under her.

" I am Shinomori Aoshi, leader of the Oniwabanshuu, your Highness." he answered monotone.

The name seemed familiar, but it was estranged to her." Oniwabanshuu?"

Aoshi didn't waste a moment when she asked. " We are the protectors of Antholl's royal family." Kaoru thought there was a shadow following her for years, but every time she turned there was nothing behind her. The stealth of a ninja was at her side every moment. Well, until she was taken to Eviary where it seemed to stop. This night would not have occured would have this group been behind her.

" Misao-chan. How do you know this man?"

Misao couldn't open her mouth when Aoshi took her place. " When we were no longer to stay at your aid Highness, we sent Misao to play as the role of a hand-maiden. She is in the Oniwabanshuu as well."

" How many are there?"

" Enough to protect the family." Kaoru felt assured and dropped her shoulders. In comparison to this leader, Kaoru was a foot shorter, and Misao was only to his elbow. " You are on a mission to the border?"

Kaoru paused at the question and regaining her voice she nodded. " I will escort you." Turning on his heel Aoshi began down the path. Kaoru had caught sight of a sword at his waist and then really felt reassured.

Misao was at Aoshi's side the entire time, only falling back to ask if Kaoru was okay. Momentarily did they stop at a town halfway to the border to eat lunch and purchase a few supplies. They sat, Aoshi disappearing into town while Misao stayed behind with Kaoru and Yahiko. " How long have you been with them?" Kaoru did feel a little unsure because of what was going on. The Oniwabanshuu knowing her whole life and protecting her. Misao was one of them and never told her. What if it was a plot?

" Since I was young. Aoshi-sama took me in and trained me. "

" He seems cold."

" He hides his emotions so enemies don't get the better of him. He is a very good man though if you've been around him long enough," Misao took off small pieces of her o-hagi and ate it." He puts his whole heart into his job. He was ordered by your father long ago to watch you. He knew that something might happen and wanted you protected. Aoshi kept an eye on you like a hawk. I guess that's why he's the okashira."

" Okashira?"

" It means leader; it's prestigeous title."

" Sounds like it." Misao never said a word to the comment as she took the last bite of her o-hagi and stood starting into the town. Kaoru pulled her cloak closed and followed Misao. Where was she going?

" We need to get you into something more discrete," stated Misao turning to a shop and looking at the sign. It looked well enough to buy a few simple garments for Kaoru after all. " No one needs to know you're the princess. It will make the travel easier. And your hub won't find you so simply." As hyper and air-headed as Misao was, she was smart in times of crisis. Maybe that was why Misao was to act as a hand-maiden, disguising her ninja ways from Kaoru to protect her.

" Madame, do you wish assistance?" the shopkeeper asked. Misao turned and nodded after writing something on a piece of paper.

" I need a pair of pants and a shirt for these sizes." the man looked at the paper. After adjusting his glasses and squinting at Misao's scrawl he gawked to the girl then laughed.

" These are women's sizes miss, certainly you must be.." he gazed down to Misao's growing serious face as she placed her arms across her chest. Clearing his throat, the man nodded and shuffled to the back looking through a pile of clothes." I think this will be to your liking?" he held up a creme colored shirt and a deep brown pants. Taking them away Misao held them to Kaoru and gazed in her friend's eyes who was unsure.

" Hai, this will do. I believe this will cover it." she took out a green bag and placed it on the man's desk. He untied the golden tie and a few silver coins spilled out in a clatter.

" It's enough," he took it up greedily. " If your friend wishes to change there is a room in the back." he pointed to a doorway. Taking Kaoru's shoulders, Misao pushed her into the room and gave her the clothes. Kaoru looked at them as though they were going to bite her and removed her cloak.

" What are these?"

" Typical military garb. Should hide you nicely." Misao said.

" I don't really wear this kind of clothing," Kaoru stated pulling off her dress. " I don't think that I even wore a pair of pants since I was real little. People always told me I had to wear a dress since I was a princess." Kaoru jumped around behind the curtain putting on the pants and buttoning up the shirt. She stepped out and let Misao look at her. Twirling her finger, Kaoru did so holding out her arms and letting Misao look.

" Gorgeous. Absoloutly perfect." Misao clapped her hands together and went behind Kaoru unbraiding her hair and taking out a pin bunning it up high. " No, that looks regal..." she let it fall as she murmured to herself. She turned Kaoru to a mirror and looked at her smiling. " It looks good down. I didn't know your hair was this long." Misao looked again noticing that Kaoru was shoeless. " Shoes? I forgot."

Walking away from Kaoru, the small girl talked to the shopkeeper and measure out with her hands a shoe. The man gawked at her again saying that the boots didn't come in the size. Misao took out another bag and the man swept to the back and brought out a pair of boots. Misao thanked him and came back to Kaoru forcing her to put them on. They were up to Kaoru's knees and she wiggled in them beginning to walk. A smile grew on her face at the shoes and twirled.

" I've never felt this free." she commented hugging her body. The collar of her shirt almost revealed herself at the top button. She liked it.

Misao pushed her friend from the back after shoving the other clothes into her bag. " Let's go. Aoshi-sama is waiting." Kaoru walked next to her friend putting the cloak back on. The old shopkeeper looked in awe at the beautiful girl her just clothed.

Outside, Aoshi stood looking generally irritated at Misao who showed Kaoru off in her pauper clothing. " What has taken you Misao?" he asked.

" The guy was annoying. He was not going to let me get Kaoru in the clothes." Aoshi turned and motioned them to come. Yahiko was already at the exit waiting for the trio to come.

" What took 'um?" inquired Yahiko as Aoshi passed. There was only silence but Yahiko shrugged it off.

It was now high noon, and Kaoru kept staring at Aoshi who's silence was eriee. " How did you know?" she asked breaking the groups silence.

" Misao." Aoshi stated quietly. Kaoru nodded. That made sense. " Where exactly are you headed Excellency?" Aoshi asked.

" The border, to the medicine place. Megumi's."

" Aa."

Kaoru bite one of her nails then stated," You don't sound so pleased." Misao looked up to Aoshi after Kaoru spoke to see that even he was unpleased with what she said. " Aoshi-kun?" Kaoru asked.

" It is nothing to worry over, Highness." he assured, monotone as ever. Misao let out the breath she had held for a while. Visable as it was, no one said a word but sensed the tension. There was something wrong between the three that cast glances to one another; Kaoru couldn't figure what.

---

Megumi stood in front of the red head who had taken the will of gettig himself from bed. She put her hands at her hips, obviously peeved. " You are blind Ken-san," she said, her voice strong," get back to bed." she ordered.

" This one only wishes to help, that he does."

" Kenshin..." Megumi's voice grew testy. Realizing that even if Kenshin could sense, he couldn't see. " Back. To. Bed." she said in a motherly like way. Kenshin slumped his shoulders and gave into Megumi's command walking over and sitting on the bed in defeat. " You need your time to get well too Ken-san," Megumi said leaning on him.

" Megumi-dono. All I want to do is help." Kenshin told her pleasently. Her hand rubbed up and down his back as she laid him down.

" I need to check you eyes, alright?" she asked. Kenshin nodded and turned his head to the general direction of the ceiling. Megumi began to strip the bandages away and placed a cool cloth over then.

" Is there any sticky feeling left?"

" Not much."

" And is there pain?"

" I suppose if you didn't have your medicines." Answered Kenshin with a laugh.

" I guess. But I didn't put give you alot so you would feel something."

" Only pain I feel is in my shoulder."

" I see." Megumi took off the cloth. " Keep your eyes closed." she commanded.

" Hai."

She looked. The medicine had been administered in just the knick of time considering that there was only a red from the burning and a few darker that would heal in a few weeks or less. " Try not to dart you eyes around, I will open them." Kenshin nodded. Megumi moved his eyelid up just for a peek and did the same to the other. " Good. A little redness, but that should go away. You're still foggy though. Did you see anything?"

" As you said Megumi-dono. Foggy."

" But not black?"

He shook his head.

" Good. " she started to walk away and then stopped." Ken-san. I do need alittle help. But if you get tired at all you lay down. Got it mister?" she asked Kenshin eagerly sprang up and nodded to Megumi.

----

It was five by the sun Kaoru guessed. They had been walking for such a long time. Apparently only she felt it in her feet seeing as Yahiko and Misao didn't mind. She dropped at a rock and looked as everyone looked to her. " Give me a moment to catch my breath." Misao walked to her and Aoshi spoke.

" The border is near Highness."

" How near?"

" Over that hill." he pointed what was west. Kaoru nodded and rose. Aoshi got them there quickly and she was very happy about that. He was, as was she, determined to make it to the border before the sun set. That was soon.

" Princess," Aoshi addressed as he cleared his throat.

" Hai...?"

" I don't expect you to like what you are about to see."

Reaching the top of the hill Kaoru took in the sights then threw her hands to her mouth restraining from crying. Aoshi had placed his sword sheath in front of her to stop her from moving. Yahiko placed a hand on her shoulder turning his attention to the side so he didn't have to look.

" What happened...?" she asked falling to her kees. Aoshi kneeled with her and said:

" It has been this way for three years princess. Ever since you left. Eviary took control the moment you and His Highness were wed. Not even we could stop it. Your father and brother did not see it fit to waste the army on such a matter."

" Such a matter! They've taken over the border!" Kaoru cried. She hooked to Aoshi's collar and shook him gently. " How..-why!"

" I don't know Highness." Aoshi pried her off and stood helping her rise. " We will make it in. If the Eviarian army allows, or no."

A/N: Problem, problems. Oh how this will be settled. That was longer than I thought it would be it was. Enjoy! Till next time. KenSan out!


	7. To You

A/N: Oh no is a definate yes1 I'm talking about the border being taken over if you're confused. Okay, well, I need to start up on my Kenshin fanfics. I've gotten caught up in this one YGO and my mind had seemed to floated out the window for RuroKen. Baka no KenSan! Well, here we go!

**To You**

The day was beginning to end, another proving almost uneventful to say the least. The shadows were extending in the setting sun as someone sighed heavily. Lost was not a word that typically graced Lotuses lips. Just the thought of losing that many in a battle, the leader included, it was not something that you saw everyday for this clan.

A displeasure circled about the room, and looking with his sharp eyes did the general see a warrior in front of him bowed as he had paced and gained information. There was a silence when he stopped and continued to examine the room. He took out a quill and it started scratching parchment as the soldier rose. He bowed at the waist and turned to leave, only to be stopped by a sudden command.

" Send the next man in." ordered the general. His voice was growing rougher as his mood grew fouler. Not even the sake that he'd hardly touched was helping him calm over losing Tiger Lily. They had recieved word from a soldier, Seta Soujiro.

A quivering man entered cautiously as not to disturbed the lion in it's den. The thickness of the angry mood had caused him to move slower from his already sluggish pace. The general commanded him closer and to not waste anymore time. Instinctivly, in honor to be in his presence did the man drop to his knees at the sight of Antholl's general. " You have something to tell me?" he inquired leaning his head on the back of his hand. The smaller man gulped and stood holding two scrolls. One of which had Eviary's royal seal imprinted on it. " What could they want?" he snarled. The man never said a word only placed them on the desk and scurried away.

The general snorted at his cowardness and mumbled softly to himself as he picked up the royal scroll first. This would be worth the time at least. He didn't care how fancy it was as he chipped the wax away and started to read it very carefully.

_General Hiko_

_It is in my humblist way I send you this. Though, it was probably known you lost your dear leader, this apology is on behafe of my queen who saw it fit to send. She sends grievences, and she hopes that the battles will soon come to close. When you and your country choose that, it is not to my knowledge. _

_Your soldiers put up a good fight, my army infilicted with many casualties and so has yours. Don't think of this as a peace treaty though Seijuuro. I am not your friend, and I don't plan to stop unless your emperor and I can come to an agreement. Again, grievences are sent from my wife. _

_Sincerely,_

_Yukishiro Enishi_

_Yukishiro Kamiya Kaoru, Sapphire of the West_

Hiko examined this, he read it over and over and it didn't seem to make any sense to him. If Lady Kaoru was sending grievences than why not just do it herself. And, in the middle of a war, even with her authority and in contact with her own country, why would she be allowed to send something when it could possibly cause a conspiracy? It didn't make any sense. At least, not to this general. One thing was certain however. The queen had even sent grievence meaning that all of it was true. That Hiko's starred pupil, one of the best in Lotus. . .was gone.

He laid down the royal document and rubbed his temples. He didn't know what to think of this. Kaoru had sent command to put another leader in charge, and so had Emperor Sanosuke. It was all too confusing.

Picking up the cup on his desk, Hiko threw back his head with the sake. It really helped with this moment of tragdy. There was yet another letter. It was on very simple parchment with only a red bow tying it up. It was from a peasent. What could they want?

Hiko poured another glass and began to sip with pleasure as he pulled off the bow and started to read the rather intriguing letter.

_To General Seijuuro Hiko:_

_I am aware you must be busy, and if this seems lowly I send my humble apologies._

_There had to have been the chance you have been told, that at Sulvin's Cresent you lost your revered leader Tiger-Lily to the cresent. Do not let tears flow amoung your troops sir, and hold the command of your clan in freeze. Your leader has not died. Hardly was he injured. In the cresent there was a platform that he landed on. It kept him safe from harm's way. A budgeby bomb had blinded him, but I believe this only to be temporary. After healing I promise that you will have your leader good as new._

_If you are in wonder of who might have written this general, my name name is Takani Megumi and I am a medicine woman at the border of our countries. I am at the city in Antholl nearest to the border, Micea. Please, if you could, send a soldier to collect Tiger-Lily. _

_Sincerely,_

_Takani Megumi, M.D._

" This is getting very interesting. Either its a prank, or a fine lady doctor is the one of the two telling the truth." Hiko pondered setting the parchment on the desk and he began writing in response to Megumi's letter. As he did, he rang a bell that had been collecting dust on the corner. The door slammed open and a servent to the army bowed in respect to the general.

" Yes sir?"

" Do not let Akira take Kenshin's place, is that understood?" the man looked back at the mess hall with men and then to a glaring Hiko. He bowed as he said:

" Yes sir." With that, he departed.

--

There was a chilling silence in the group while Kaoru tried to regain her composer. It was hard at seeing the wall that separated Antholl from Eviary. Guards patrolled up and down and a few people had to go through the checkpoint. Some made it through while others were shoved back into Eviary. A woman and her children were some of the few. Kaoru growled at them, but quieted it when she realized there was nothing she could do. She had a passport. Stupid idea if she thought about it really, especially since word would have reached a place so heavily guarded that she had ' escaped.'

" Your Higness," Aoshi extended a hand to the royal and Kaoru took it looking forward then grimacing at the sight. There was no use crying, she knew that. It was already taken over and she couldn't do a thing about it. Crying wouldn't stop it, and in her peasent state she had absoloutly no authority. When thinking that over Kaoru turned to the group that diverted their gazes from the checkpoint.

" I am flattered by the humbleness to the royal name. Truly. But, if I am dressing and acting like a peasent then I'll be dressed like one as well." Kaoru stated surely. Misao looked up to Aoshi who bowed his head at the neck and said:

" As you wish."

" As from now," Kaoru began turning back to the wall," I am just like everyone else."

Placing her hands on her hips, the raven-haired mistress looked, then discouraged when coming up with nothing that could get her past the gate without recognition. " If I may?" Aoshi asked. Kaoru shot him an angered glare and Yahiko elbowed him to remind him that she was not in authority. " I believe there is a rule, if still in, that prisoners do not have to be identified at any checkpoint. We can get you and Yahiko across as prisoners whilst me and Misao can show passport." Aoshi stated. Wheels turned in Kaoru's head as she processed all of this. She did remember that being in place for the checkpoints. She agreed and Aoshi searched his bag for the neccessary equiptment.

Moments later, Kaoru and Yahiko found themselves shackled at the wrists and ankles and being held by Misao and Aoshi who lifted up the hoods to their cloaks. For some reason, there was this butterfly in Kaoru's stomach and she tried hard to supress a yell. It can out in whisps of her voice. " Is there somethig wrong?" Aoshi asked looking back as they advanced to the checkpoint.

" I feel so normal." Kaoru said exstatic.

" She's a queen Aoshi-sama. This kind of thing is strange and exciting to her, apparently." Of course the okashira really didn't need the explanation. However, even this baffeled him.

" Aa."

They made it to the checkpoint and guards pushed them on. kKoru gazed at them. Eviarian of course. They all had at least one sword or spear, and a small tanto. She shivered and proceeded onward until a window came. Aoshi turned them to the window and pulled out his passport, taking Misao's as well and setting on the counter. The man examined them telling them to remove their hoods. They obeyed.

" Shinmori Aoshi-sama, Makimachi Misao-sama, welcome to Antholl." But while giving his welcome, the guard eyed Kaoru who bit at him like she was a slut. The man tried to play a face, but Kaoru turned her head away in a snub. " Your cargo?" he asked.

" Hai."

" Prisoners I suppose?"

" Hai."

" Continue. Get them to the nearest prison. Be careful." Aoshi started at a fast pace and Kaoru played around with the guy giving a good-bye then flipping the bird to him. The man gave a purr as she continued on waving her hips seductively.

" You're a weird princess." Yahiko commented.

" Hey, I'm only playing the ' bad girl' part." Kaoru said giving that seductive glance. Yahiko shivered at his own thoughts. Misao giggled and looked at Kaoru giving her a thumbs up at her little ' bad girl' act.

" Perfect Kao," she said and as they got out of good distance, Aoshi unshackled the two and motioned them forward. Kaoru looked ahead at Antholl; it felt good to be in her homland. But as a peasent it seemed so wrong. She still couldn't give her identity. If Enishi gained any word where she was then it was all over.

" Where is this medicine shop Kaoru?" Aoshi asked coldly. Kaoru shivered a moment when a chilly wind came them looked ahead to the Camill Road.

" Micea. It's about a quarter in on the Camill Road. There's a fork in the road and it's on the left. At least, I think that it's still there." Kaoru explained. Aoshi nodded.

" There is no inn on the way. Did anyone bring camping supplies?"

" Hai." Misao said. " An Oniwanbanshuuu ninja is ready for anything!" she yelled scaring a flock of brids from the trees. Kaoru whacked her over the head for good measure and hissed at her to not be loud and give away who they were. Misao gave a sorry and they continued on their way.

--

" Ken-san? Are you feeling well?" Megumi asked when he took a seat on his bed.

" Fine. Just alittle tired that's all." he assured her.Megumi placed her water bucket down and told Tsubame she could go to bed. It was getting real late. Megumi began to dim lanterns in the clinc before she took a seat next to the red-head.

" You medicine is taking affect. Drowzy?" Kenshin nodded laying down. " Relax alright. You've done alittle more than you should. I shouldn't have let you try the laundry." she was mumbling to herself whle Kenshin thought about the past. Such a beautiful time too.

He folded his hands over his chest and felt Megumi pull up the blanket and lower the light from his lantern as well." Sleep alright?" she commanded in a kind voice. He really didn't pay attention if she had left or not, but he was left to his thoughts.

Back then, three years ago back, he remembered escorting the beautiful sapphire eyed princess of Antholl. A very noble duty. If anything was to happen, Kenshin would have been in the guilatine ( sp?) But, Hiko trusted him with the princess's protection. The other reason, other than his high rank that he was choosen, was because he was to head to Eviary to meet his soon to be bride. His bride was the princess of Eviary, Tomoe. She was just as beautiful as Kaoru. Her dark hair contrasting with her pale skin that made her glow like an angel. It was, when he thought about her that it brought tears to his eyes.

" Megumi, would you listen to me?" he asked quietly not to wake any others in the clinic. Footsteps came over.

" A story Ken-san?"

" It was my fault. All of it. And the blood," she could see his tears fall from out under the banages. She didn't know if it was the medication doing this to him or not, but she was going to listen to him nonetheless. She had nothing better to do.

" Blood Ken-san?" she asked. Kenshin nodded to her and then turned his head to the side.

" I was suppose to protect her. I couldn't protect her. The princess."

" Kaoru?" Kenshin shook his head and then turned on his shoulder. Megumi started to worry. He was spilling his guts about something important to her. Something that he probably never told another soul and was hush-hush in Antholl court. She did remember hearing of the princess, Tomoe of Eviary, having died by illness. But, she never thought that it sounded true. She had never heard from Kenshin for days upon weeks. There was something strange. And in the first letter he had sent to her in two months, had a depressed tone to it. Now she was curious if it was an accident or maybe.., murder?

" It was all my fault. I couldn't stop myself. She was afraid. She interfered. She shouldn't have interfered. " He was babbling incoherantly after those last words. There was a silent sob, and Megumi didn't know anything to do but to stroke his head as though he were a child.

" It was an accident Ken-san. Go to sleep. Forget about it." She started to hum and the sobbing quieted even more until it was a small snore. Megumi smiled very wide knowing that she had probably done the right thing, but she could not get the words out of her head. Was it an accident that he caused? Was it a murder that was played out like an accident? Was it Tomoe's suicide? Megumi wasn't sure about anything at this point.

--

Kaoru rose with the sun to find Misao and Aoshi were mediatating together on the hill a few yards up. It over looked Micea, but it was too late at night when they saw the hill to go asking for an inn. Kaoru had already started packing wanting to get there as soon as possible. She got Misao out of the zoned out spaced who nudged Aoshi ut of it. They all woke Yahiko by rolling him into the dirt from his blankets.

After a half an hour of Yahiko's complaining and breakfast, the four started down the hill, Kaoru in a run. She needed to get to Megumi's clinic before the warrior had the opportunity to leave. Yahiko was barely on her tail while Misao and Aoshi were far ahead scanning the town and leading the ex-princess to the whereabouts of the clinic.

It was real early. Sevenish maybe, when Kaoru knocked on the oak door. Footsteps rushed through and they were greeted by a girl with shoulder lengthed hair and an apron She looked up to Kaoru and asked: " May I help you?"

" We're looking for Megumi-san?" Kaoru asked looking in. At first glance there was nothing out of the ordinary. That was until she saw the red-head stumbling around serving breakfast. Her eyes widened as the girl went to fetch Megumi. Kaoru didn't care if she was invited or not, she went to the man and caught his attention only to find that he was blinded.

" Hai?" he asked.

" I. . . um. . I. . .what are you doing?" she finally asked when his hand was tracing around her face.

" I never forget a face." he said calmly. the voice wa sthe same as the years ago. The hair, but she couldn't see the eyes.

" Are...are you blind?"

" Ken-san! Are you harrasing my costumers!" she asked. The red-head turned his head to her and back to Kaoru.

" No Megumi-dono. Only, trying to see if I remember her." she turned away and continued with his duties.

" Well, what did you want?" she asked. Kaoru took her to a back room while the others looked around for any supplies they might need. " Well?"

" That man? What is his name?" Kaoru demanded.

" I am not allowed to release that information." she stated firmly.

" I just need to know. I'm from the government, and so are they. We are here to help him back to the quarter's. From orders or General Hiko." Kaoru said trying to sound offical. Megumi remembered the contents of her letter and uncrossed her arms.

" Of course, of course. I'll help you with him alright. There are a few things you'll need to know and the armies doctor as well." Megumi went through a list of things to Aoshi while Kaoru tried to converse with the man. She found out that it was Tiger-Lily, that he was alive which was a good thing. She didn't say a word about her name, but he took her hand and pulled something fron under the pillow of his bed.

He handed it over and said:

" To you."

A/N: Woah. That was loooooooong. I hope you guys like it! Till next time. KenSan out!


	8. Nomads

A/N: What did he give her? What did he give her? THat's one reason this update is late. Hard to make a chapter when you can't think of what he could give her. That, and school, and reading fanfics and all this other nonsense. But, I would like to continue. Please. Enjoy this.

**Nomads**

Kaoru gazed awkwardly at the small sack-like object that Kenshin had pulled from under the pillow. How could he hide it under there? How could he know that she deserved what he was giving her? Kaoru was slow to take the bag until Kenshin shoved it closer to her. " Please, take it Miss," he pleaded. Kaoru had no choice and took it carefully unwrapping the pure silk to reveal a navy blue color lined with gold. It was a simple ribbon and it wasn't one you could buy on the streets.

" A peacemaker's ribbon? But why are you giving this to me...?"

" To show truth," he stated. Kaoru continued to unfold pieces of cloth further into the sack. It had several pieces...no scraps of parchment. They were yellow and torn and had splotched ink on them. " Please, read." He pushed on her. Kaoru made sure to pull up every one of them for a grand total of six. Each of them had an assortment of strange senatnces on them. Out of place fragments:

_if the world could mean..._ that was the first one. The second was the beginning of a sentance.

_My desires are clear, but it is hard to describe..._ a desire? Kaoru went to the next one, Kenshin taking the scraps and waiting patiently for her to go over them.

_it worries me to wonder what others will..._

_I am a mere shadow to a princess like her._

That was the ending one, so she could piece the end and the beginning. Trying the last two, Kaoru fit them together like puzzle pieces.

_think about this infatuation to a princess not of mine, and.._

The last one...

_anything maybe she could love me too, but.._

" Kenshin, what is this?" she asked and read the pieces putting them together again. reading it aloud. " ' _My desires are clear, but it is hard to describe. it worries me to wonder what others will think about this infatuation of a princess not of mine, and if the world could mean anything maybe she could love me too, but I am but a mere shadow to a princess like her._' "

Kenshin smiled and turned away. " I'm not a princess Kenshin so...it doesn't matter. It's pretty though. " Kenshin's smile downgraded only slightly as he took the pieces of paper with footsteps approaching.

"Kao?" the hyper voice asked. Kenshin stood gathering his things, a sword on the other side of the bed knowing that he was leaving. He pocketted the small bag and aimed his head to where Kaoru might be. He sensed her lying, but it was unsure. It was only a sense.

Someone came up from behind him putting hands to his shoulders. Megumi had such a warm feeling to her. " Ken-san, please be careful. I trust them whole-heartedly but I'm still concerned," she whispered. The red head nodded, knowing that they were all hiding behind something, some lie or another to protect themselves. There was a feeling that Kaoru was hiding the harshest secrets of them all.

" Sir Kenshin," a more monotone voice called. He shot his head up to general direction. " Are you ready?" The male voice asked. Kenshin nodded and began forward somebody linking arms with him.

"Yes?"

"It's just me." Kaoru stated. " We don't want to take chances of anyone getting lost. We still have a ways to go before getting to the captiol."

" You need not go for the captiol. If you are returning me to Hiko then you take me to the camp. It should be only three-fourths of the way there." He informed. They were outside and going through town. Kenshin blushed slightly knowing Kaoru was still linked arms with him. People most surely thought that they were married or something along those lines.

" Sir Kenshin?" the hyper voice that had called out to Kaoru asked," do you like battling?" Kenshin raised a brow at her question while she let out a yelp of pain which was most likely from Kaoru because of her far reach still attatched to him. "

" What was that for!" she demanded, right in his ear.

" You don't ask such a personal question! Not to a warrior." Kaoru said in etiquette.

There was a small chuckle from the knight. " I do not mind answering most questions your friend may have Miss Kaoru. I would not." He stated clasping the sword in his hand ever tighter at what he'd just allowed. He wasn't too fond of people digging into his past, yet he felt like there was an attatchment to Kaoru that he couldn't quite get. She was one person you never forget because there was no one else like her.

" You sure?" the hyper voice asked.

The man from before clearing his throat. " I'm sure that Sir Kenshin knows Kaoru, but maybe it's best he know who else he is traveling with. Not to feel like we are complete strangers," the monotone voice stated.

"Yeah...I guess that would make sense," Kaoru agreed. " My friends are the greatest you'll ever have. They're very good at their...jobs..." she wasn't suppose to tell him that, and there must have been some tension among the group because of the awkward silence.

" Well, Sir Kenshin," the hyper voice said to him," I'm Makimachi Misao. Ninja extrodinaire!" she exclaimed letting out yet another yelp of pain." What was that for Aoshi-sama!" she whined.

" You need to lower your voice," the monotone Kenshin registered as ' Aoshi '. " Do you want every bandit and thieve in the country to find us?" he hissed. Kenshin understood how this was really that important of a secret to keep safe. He told himself to be as quiet as he could.

" There is another..." he said listening to the five sets of footsteps. " They are young, and oddly quiet for the age."

" His name is Myojin Yahiko. He's been following us for sometime. He's a servent I suppose."

" Shut up ugly.." Kaoru detached from Kenshin at that insult. Before a brawl was capable of started Kenshin surely stated to Yahiko.

" This woman is one of the most beautiful I'm sure," Kenshin said matter-of-factly.

" How do you know? You're kinda blind." Yahiko said, stating the obvious.

There was a really large yell from the boy Kenshin registering that he was hit by more than one of the members. There was also a sigh from Aoshi knowing that his group was rather annoying. " You seem displeased Aoshi, that you do." Kenshin said speedin up to find Aoshi. His strides were larger then Kenshin's.

" Sometimes I wonder what Kami-sama had in mind." he said low.

" Sessha thinks that too sometimes. You get use to it after some time," he shrugged listening closer to everything around him. Their footsteps were not the only ones around. " Aoshi? Is there something else close to us?" the red-head mused aloud. There was quiet for a moment and Kenshin thought of the group he was in. Their names had began ringing bells. Yahiko was a noble's son. Enishi's cousins on his mother's side which meant that Yahiko was related to Enishi. Then, Aoshi and MIsao were on the Oniwabanshuu for the royal family. Kaoru was an off one. The only Kaoru that Kenshin knew was the princess. The way she beat around the bush and was vague with answers must have meant something along those lines. If the Oniwabanshuu were around; especially the leader, it meant something like that.

" Himura?"

" Hai?"

" There are footsteps. Not that many. They don't seem too friendly." His voice seemed confident though. There was silence from the entire group.

" What are they Aoshi-sama?"

" Unsure. Bandits travel loudly sometimes. Or it could be Eviarian guards patrolling, either way it's not that pleasent."

Kenshin listened further and turned. He knew Megumi didn't want him to remove the bandages before time was due. He also knew the risks of doing so; but he had to know if there was any danger to this little group that they didn't need.

None of the group stopped him as he handed over the bandages to the nearest person. His eyes opened to blurred sights and burning lights breaking through the tree tops. Across all the brush as he looked however, there was something faint coming on the other fork of the Camill road.

" Himura?"

" Shuuuu..." he listebned closer and put his hand under his tsuba and readied to unsheath it as the group had turn off the road and sliced at the trees. " I would arm yourslef subtly. We don't the danger we may be facing," he warned and tighened grip as they got really close. His eyes became more clear to the people, and they were armed. Dangerous may not be the exact word to say. The red-head loosened his ahnd from his sword waiting as they were comfronted by the group. Large was the word, but it was not people, but a wagon. " Nomads...false alarm." Kenshin put his sword away and turned.

" People!" a girl's voice yelled.

Kenshin looked back over. A male lead the wagon, and he did have a sword at his waist. There was a girl poking from the wagon looking with a smile as she waved and gave a cough. " Oi! Wait!" she yelled out yet again. More friendly than you would see in people during the war. Kenshin was face-to-face with the male looking back and helping the woman down.

The two were very alike, though male taller. The lady, late teens-early twenties, was paler then you would see. She tightened a shawl on her shoulder and looked at the red-head. " Ohayou," she said, " gomen if we have intruded. We are...sort of lost."

" It's fine. Do you even know which road you're on?"

"Um...well...that's kinda why we're lost..." the lady said looking back to the male. " Shougo, you said you thought Camill right?"

' Shougo ' nodded, but he wasn't too sure.

" You are correct Shougo; and where are you headed?" Kenshin asked turning to his friends to make sure that they approved of them.

" We are going to the army base." Shougo said.

" How convienent. I didn't know that you were in there."

Kenshin stared at Shougo and his companion wondering, They didn't look either Eviarian or Anthollian.Shougo looked back to the lady who tightened the shawl. She did the talking it seemed.

" We're actually going because he's being nominated by the Three Crest to have his golden peacemaker's ribbon. I'm so prud of my brother." She said like a fangirl. Shougo hardly seemed to care and turned his head away.

" Well, I suppose it wouldn't be so horrible for you to travel with us. As long as my friend's don't mind," he turned to them, and no one seemed too objective. Misao was the first to bound out to them and hold a hang to the lady who cringed back.

" What's your name? Where are you from. What's your favorite color? Hi, I'm Misao!" she said shaking the girl's hand who was taken aback by Misao's friendly behavior.

" I'm Amakusa Magdaria and I'm from Celtia, Jubeyn. And I like...teal...? she answered while Misao shook away. Kaoru took her by the shoulder and oushed her back.

" Hey Magdaria; I'm Kaoru. This is Aoshi, _Misao_," she said unpleasently at the blushing Misao, " Yahiko, and you've met Kenshin." They all bowed respectivaly to the two who bowed back.

" It's lovely to meet you; I'm glad you don't mind us coming, we've been alone for about a week. Glad to know you're sure where you're going. General Hiko doesn't know how to give direction."

" I will agree with that," Kenshin laughed walking away. Shougo put his little sister back into the wagon and began following their new companions down the road. Kaoru, Misao and Magdaria started into a large conversation. They found out that Magdaria was religious. They found that she was a Christian and that her name was biblical. Her actually name was Sayo. She always toyed with her cross as she spoke and coughed often. When they asked why they found that it was because she was ill for unknown reason. That was the other reason that they were traveling to get her assistance at the base. No matter what was wrong with her though, she was extremely pleasent and fun to talk too.

--

When they reached the base the next morning early, they all were at the gate brining Kenshin in. The troops were up nd eating in the mess hall that the group passed. They were in a waiting room guarded by troops. The fine doors glimmering in the gold and small sunlight coming through the blinds. The man, General Hiko, called out for the groups to come in at the same time along with a tremendous yawn.

They saw that he had just woken, hair alittle haphazardly as he brushed it down with his hand and taking a cup of coffee looking at the groups. Kenshin was on his knees bowing deeply and Hiko stood. " Well, I'll be damned. You're alive. Kami-sama, I never thought that I'd see you again Kenshin." Hiko stood from behind the desk and let Kenshin up. He looked to Kaoru and enveloped her in a hug. " Kaoru, you have grown haven't you? Lovely to see you as well. I need to do some training with you. I wonder if you've gotten rusty Your Majesty."

Both Shougo and Magdaria did a double take them kept it on Kaoru when he said that.

" I probably have to your standards Hiko. I probably have..." she drawled of anf looked to the two who both bowed to her. " Please. I'm like you. Please don't do that!" she begged. They looked to one another.

" Yes Your Majesty!" they yelled. Kaoru slapped her forehead.

She looked to Hiko and Kenshin conversing. He knew now and she hated saying that earlier. She must have left the wrong impression. She hoped that maybe she didn't hurt him too much. It didn't seem like; but he probably hide it well.

A/N: Weird ending, but I wanted to bring in Magdaria and Shougo. I hope you like it. Do you think that Kenshin is mad at Kaoru? Tell me. KenSan out!


	9. Resistance

A/N: I'm happy, I didn't get grounded from the computer. Thought I was millimeters away from getting a C and my parents going nuts. Well, I have another excuse. I have been drawing a manga idea out in this big notebook and when I showed it to my mom she wants to go and publish the thing! My parents...well, enough of my life, on with the story.

**Resistance**

Kaoru walked with Hiko down the hall. He was like a coach to her. He wasn't her master though. She looked up to him, the stoicism always got her. He hid behind these deep eyes in thought. There was something to him though this time. He seemed a little sadder than he usually was. There was actually a mourn in the tough general. She smiled though. He was probably happy about Kenshin. He was back after all. That was one thing that was probably worrying about it. That was momumental for Hiko.

" Your Highness?" Hiko addressed. Kaoru looked up to him. " You bought him back to me, and I thank you."

Swallowing, the princess nodded.

" It wasn't a problem," she hid behind a screen and changed into her training garb. Hiko sat glaring at several other warriors who held stares on him. One walked over and kneeled.

" What is the princess doing here?" he asked.

" She's training Kamatari. What does it look like to you?" the man fell to the floor. He had more of the grace of a woman than some women did. He was a bit of a cross-dresser sometimes as well. Hiko tried not to shudder at the way he sat and watched Kaoru come from behind the screen and bow to him.

" Wow. My princess, it's great to see you again!" Kamatari said holding out his arms to hug her. Kaoru willingly excepted. Kamatari had been a friend of her's for a while.

" Why are you in the Lotus? I thought that you liked being a guard at the palace." Kamatari saw Hiko look away and take a sip froma jug of sake hiding in his cloak. Kamatari snorted before taking Kaoru to the ther side of the room.

" Let's say after you went good-bye, so did I. I was around for you My princess, that was the only reason. And I'm not allowed in Eviary," he said. Kaoru nodded. " It's a long story. I don't want to go there. But, now that you're back I might reconsider." Kaoru seemed a little pleased as she started to stretch out. Kamatari examined her. " Oh dear..."

" What?"

" He did it to you didn't he?" Kaoru was raising an eyebrow. Kamatari looked over to Hiko who didn't seem interested but definately was. " I have a sixth sense about these things. He did it to you didn't he? Is the bastard really that desparate to have an heir?" Kaoru leaned on the wall rubbing on her arm carefully then looking to Kamatari who stared at her in wonderment.

" Did you try to kill Enishi? Is that why you're not allowed in Eviary?" Kaoru asked before Kamatari could try and continue this conversation further. Kamatari shrugged and turned crossing his arms.

" I tried a few swings once or twice. Maybe my scythe tried to knick him or something like that..." the man said vaguely trying to endulge himself in his cuticles. Kaoru nodded. That sounded good. If only Kamatari hadn't missed...

" Why?"

" What can I say? You're not his first. He's done it under mommy and daddys' noses. Then paid the women off. I'm guessing he tried you in the springs?" Kamatari asked smiling. Kaoru looked away tugging at her shirt. She was adding two and two.

" Did he try you...?"

" Let's say he can swing both ways." Kamatari gave a small laugh behind his hand. " Or maybe he didn't know until he thought he seduced me."

Kaoru knew that Enishi was a bit of a wolf, but he wasn't to kind when he did it. There were nights she would hear a sort of scream muffled by playful laughter outside her window. She supposed that it was a guards girlfriend or something outside the wall.

She began to bit her nails hesitantly and look around as Kamatari looked at himself in a small mirror. He turned to the almost grieving Kaoru and frowned at the mourn. " Oh dear, tears won't change what's already happened. I've told you that a million times. " Kaoru looked into Kamatari's eyes in dispare still tugging at the bottom of her shirt unsure. Kamatari let her go and looked to Hiko with his hands on his hips.

" What?" Hiko asked sipping down the sake. Kamatari shook his head and mumbled something before talking to Hiko.

" I want to work with Kaoru if that wouldn't be so wrong. I'm sure that you have other things that you can do in this place," he turned and looked over his shoulder with a wicked smile. " Maybe that puzzle I gave you for your birthday you have yet to complete?" he said with a laugh. Hiko started to go red in the face turning away before Kamatari could insult his intellegence any further.

" Go ahead. Take her. I need to speak with Kenshin anyway," Kamatari lit up like a lantern at those words.

" But, but, but...I thought that Kenshin was dead! We had a ceremony and everything!" Kamatari yelled. Hiko shrugged.

" Ask your princess here. She brought him back." Hiko jabbed a finger to Kaoru and Kamatari turned. When he looked back to talk to Hiko he found the front door ajar.

Kamatari returned his attention to Kaoru. She knew the minute he had heard about Kenshin that he would flare up. " How was he still alive!" Kamatari demanded from her. The raven-haired princess shrugged and picked up her bokken. " Aw! C'mon Kaoru I know you're not that cold hearted. The guys a looker!" that hit Kaoru hard. Even guys fawned over the great Tiger-Lily. She looked down to the floor as though she had no hope to get him. She had a minor infatuation. Okay, maybe not a minor one. He would have been so much better for her than Enishi. He knew how to take care of a woman. Not just because he was in the Lotus, though that might play a small role, just by what she knew of him.

" Kamatari? Aren't we going to train?" Kaoru asked. The man had given up on Kaoru; he'd never really been able to make her spill on stuff that matter like that. He didn't even want to try and get her to say anything. Some things were just deep, but this was at the bottom of a well.

Kaoru moved through her practice without much of it on her mind. She shouldn't be so jealous of Kamatari liking Kenshin. After all, the guy had had feeling for Kenshin long ago. He knew that Kenshin was straight though. They went back pretty far though. The first time that they had seen each other was when Hiko had brought Kenshin along to show off to Kaoru's father. Kamatari, who was more or less her bodyguard back then, told her on the spot his little crush on the fifteen years old. Kaoru shuddered to think of it even now what could ahve been going on in Kamatari's twisted mind.

When she was knocked to the ground Kamatari crossed his arms and pouted at her. " Where is your mind today?" he scolded her. " It never goes this far on vacation!" Kaoru only shrugged and picked herself back up.

----

Kenshin sat in his old room having been dust collected and a few webs in the corners. He tried to imagine what it was like before he had ever left the country. He loved Antholl for all that it was. The flag had even hung on his bed post. It shook when the wind pushed it, the windows rattling. He'd been told to wait for Hiko.

It was hard to sit and wait; and it was hard to reminisce without coming to one of the two loves in his life. And in love, it was human. Both of the people that he loved were royal and who was he to barg in on the royalty. He was hardly what you would call ' royal. ' If he had the choice at this very moment in his life of what he would want to become, he would most certainly go back to a place like Megumi's and work for her and just keep a small tenant to shelter himself. He didn't care about titles; though he had many. He had to push on from from the past and look on to the future. That was what was most important.

The door opened and he looked out of the corner of his eye to the onyx haired general .He stood and saluted as he should the returned to sitting on the bed with the rough woolen sheets. Hiko took refuge on the chair next to Kenshin's bunk, the room unoccupied by any roommate. He swallowed and without saying a word handed his apprentice a scroll. There was an Anthollian seal upon it. Not the army's seal, but the emperor's.

" Sanosuke?" he asked beginning to ship the wax away. Hiko sat back and watched as his apprentice speed read the note that had been sent to him in early morning. It was not friendly.

_Kenshin,_

_I know that you're not dead, but you're not a coward to hide either. I send this to you for several purposes. I may be MIA for the time being. If Antholl goes into panic, I trust you to know what to do. But, the reason I write this to you is more serious than that. It is much more crucial to the war and I want this only between you and the general. Eviary has it's own internal problems, and the king, Enishi, has done considerable crimes. _

_In Eviary, first, a civil war is about to become them by undergroud resistance by a mix of all three counties. I am part of this resistance. We will enter Eviary soon, but even I can't tell you when. We expect there to be bloodshed Kenshin, but this will be the final stage of this war. _

_Enishi will be killed. His crimes are far to great let him get away with. I'm sure you know of his little flings with the maids of his palace, but I very angered by the fact that he decides my sister is a toy of his as well. _

Kenshin stopped reading for a moment and looked to the carpet. That was why Kaoru wasn't in Eviary; why she had come to collect him fron Megumi, why she has stayed at the army base and not moved on. He didn't want to, but forced it upon himself to read more of Sanosuke's letter.

_I want you to protect her Kenshin, I know she must be with you; she's not stupid. She knows you were the one who brought her to Enishi. She trusts you most of all, and I know your feelings. The royal family is counting on you to help, and the underground resistance is hoping that you can somehow breech into the Eviarian palace. If I end up dead, tell Kaoru that it was my choice. I'll see ya around!_

_Sano_

Kenshin smiled for a moment and rolled up the letter tucking it into a drawer. Hiko sat back waiting for him to tell the contents.

" Deshi?"

" There's an underground resistance forming of the three countries against Enishi. It's understandable, it is." He nodded to himself. " Sano is part of the resistance bent on taking down the corrupt rule; he wants my help in several ways." Kenshin said.

" How?"

" I must protect his sister, Kaoru. He also wants me to get in the walls of the palace and weaken Enishi somehow. He only wants me for some reason." Hiko was silent and kept his gaze to his pupil before standing. " Shishou?"

" You're a smart man. You'll figure it out," he let his cape flutter behind as he was about to leave. With the door open he said," and I think that Sanosuke knows what I do about you." He shut the door. Kenshin rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. He needed to find Kaoru.

----

The young queen walked down the halls of the army base with men turning to look as she passed. She was drenched in sweat; Kamatari hardly let up on her. She looked ahead that the large doors seeing one crack open in front of her. She stopped to look at the red head who entered and closed the door behind him. He came to her with a bow and took her hand. " Kenshin?"

" There isn't much time to explain, but you have to go back to Eviary." he said. Kaoru looked at him and pulled her arm away.

" Why?!"

" You need to go back Your Majesty." Kenshin said. He was so vague. When Kaoru stopped to look he was also exhausted and must have run through the grounds to get to her. " You need to go back. There is no other way to say it, that there isn't. I will escort you I will." He wasn't as pleasent as he was before. Something was shaking him badly.

" Kenshin, if you can tell me why then I will go with you."  
Kenshin had an itch to him, he had this impulse that maybe she would understand when he did. With their stare locked he plunged to her and put his lips to hers.

A/N: Abrupt yet romantic ending. Those are my favorite! Well I hope you enjoyed and thank you reviewers! Till next time, KenSan out!


	10. Restless

A/N: Hey, they kissed, can't get too much better than that can you. Well, this one will be faster than usual becasue I have a very gracious reviewer who gives me a pleantiful of ideas. I thank him/her/them. Well, I hope that this will be to your liking. I know I will...

**Restless**

Kaoru didn't get the chance to even react after the warrior released his lips from hers. He grabbed her hand and started running in the direction of the door from wence he'd came. Kaoru barely kept up with him, but that didn't stop her from protesting what he was doing. She jerked his hand really hard and the first time he didn't notice. Kaoru was determined to stop him and as so she jerked hard again. This time the red-head stopped and swung around to see her with a scrunched up face of anger.

" Your Highness?"

" What are you doing?"

" Taking you out of Antholl and back to Eviary." Kaoru practically threw Kenshin's hand off of hers. There were tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, but not of any sadness. She looked into his violet with her stomach churning. She couldn't believe what he just did; not that it was against the law, but that she wasn't really going to have what she had wanted for so long. She had a seperate life from his and could do nothing about her place.

" I don't want to go back. I don't want to go back to that bastard!" Kenshin looked down on her body as her legs shaked. He had known for a while Enishi's acts, but he wasn't going to go and tell Kaoru what he knew. He wasn't going to say that he sympathized, he wasn't going to say anything. He turned away and started toward the stables where several horses let out a whinny. As he walked by, every soldier saluted him and he did so back.

Kaoru held her hand over her heart watching him walk away. It was like it was when she was brought to Eviary. Now she was wondering if she blamed him.

With her head turned down Kaoru started to run to Kenshin grabbing his hand swinging behind. " Sir Kenshin...?" she asked.

" Please, Your Highness, just Kenshin." He gave this smile that made him practically irresistable. Kaoru started walking with him releasing her hand from his.

" Your reasons?"

Kenshin found himself at a loss of words when she asked that of him. He knew what to say but it was something that had to be put together with delicate words. Kaoru was tapping her foot as he continued closer to the stable as if Kaoru had already agreed to follow him. She kept on him with her glare and crossed arms. Finally, he stopped halfway in the stable and looked at her.

" It was requested by Sano that you be escorted back." He told her softly. Kaoru let her arms fall to her side. She looked at the dirt floor covered with hay and slightly soggy. She drew her head up and looked at the warrior in his eyes to be sure, but she couldn't read anything like she could with other people. She knew the way Kenshin was making it almost mourn like that he had to be telling the truth. Kaoru looked back to the ground and imagined her brother talking to Kenshin. She had seen him speaking to Sano on occasion, but not enough to know that Sanosuke actually trusted the amethyst-eyed warrior.

" Is Sano alright Kenshin?" Kaoru asked rubbing her arm. Kenshin dare not even look at her at this point. He was turned away thinking solely on the contents of the letter.

" He is doing well," Kenshin lied. He was probably up to being beheaded for all the lying he was doing to a royal. He sucked in a breath and went to the pen that held a black colored horse.

" Where is he?"

Now that he was afraid answering would cause him to collapse. He made sure he was out of her line of vision when he told her the first piece of full truth.

" He is in a resistance underground that has been forming against the war. "

There was a heavy silence as Kenshin saddled the horse and walked her out of the stable. Kaoru was walking behind the horse watching its tail snap and wave. She saw a small sack with several protruding items coming from it.

" Did you go through my things?" she demanded.

" I did not touch anything that would be truly personal Your Highness." He answered reverting back to the loyal warrior. Meaning simply that the questions that she had asked him had scared the piss out of him.

He stopped on a trail and watched a few soldiers walk by leisurely to where they were to train. A ways away she caught sight of an instructer with what had to be at least twenty men with wooden poles going through basic training moves. These must have been the sons of the warriors. She even caught a few girls littered in the group that hd just as much intensity as the men had. She smiled. At least Hiko understood that if the men could do it, then so could the women.

" Your Highness. I know you must be devestated at the recent events. But this concerns both of our utmost attention. This is not a whim, it is not. I was requested as well as you to go to Eviary by your brother. " His voice was growing more stern and more serious. With one last downcast gaze she turned her head back up to see Kenshin looking toward her with one of his callused hands extended.

" You may not wish to do this, but if not for your countries, then do it for your brother..." he said quietly. Kaoru nodded and took hold of his hand slowly and he led her to the horse helping her on. " Please Your Highness, hold on tight. I wish you unharmed by the time we reach Eviary."

This was a true warning. She took a tight grip around his chest and he started into a canter quickly making it to a gallop. His hair was tickling her nose and it smelled nice. She had to say that she was pretty well mesmerized by him. He was such an enigma. Maybe that was what made him such a person to be interested in. Her heart couldn't help but start beating a little off. His back was warm too.

" Are you alright Your Highness?"

It took Kaoru a moment to get the courage to answer,

" Hai..., and please Kenshin. Just Kaoru. "

--

Misao sat a top one of the building at the training base scanning the aera. She caught the entire little quarrell like thing between Kenshin and Kaoru without a hint of why they were talking. She took pleasure and even found them amusing. Until they disappeared into the stable. This was her shift and she needed to make sure that Aoshi knew she was dead serious on protecting both her friend and her employer.

She jumped down landing gracefully and began creeping toward the stable she could smell a mile away. She peaked sideways through the door and saw Kenshin take out a horse and still speak to Kaoru. They were inaudible. When they started nearing the door Misao looked up and found an awning to perch on. She watched them from above. They stopped and after several mintues of what to Misao was silence she watched Kenshin extend a hand and Kaoru looked more than reluctant to take it. That was the moment she jumped down and started running for the quarters where her and Aoshi were staying.

He sat reading quietly and she didn't want to disturb him.

" Yes Misao?"

" Kaoru's on the move, " Misao said. That made Aoshi draw his book more near his lap.

" And?"

" She's on the move with Himura. This isn't any leisurely stroll either. They're heading back on to Camill Road. Right now they're on the Warrior Pass. My guess is at the speed he's going it should only be a matter of hours before he hits Micea again." Misao reported. Aoshi took this as an opportunity. He stood and grabbed his cloak tossing Misao her's.

" Are we stopping them Aoshi-sama?"

" Iie, we're following them. Himura's intentions may be life threatening to Her Highness. "

He swept past Misao was like she was not even there. This was Aoshi's job, and when it came to protecting Kaoru, it was his top priority.

Misao bounded behind him as he started on the pass. As soon as an arch of trees appeared, Aoshi hid himself within them. Misao followed Aoshi quietly, she watched his stealth from behind as he jumped from limb to limb. There was a faint pound of hooves as they began, but it seemed to get farther as they tried to get closer.

Misao made one more jump and landed carefully by Aoshi ducked below a low limb and staring forward. She didn't have his good of vision and took her boniculars out and looked at Kenshin taking an awkward turn on the pass that usually took you to Jubyen, not Eviary.

The curiosity was eminating from both of them. Why Aoshi dare not move more than a flinch meant that he was in true wonder, and really deep thought. " Aoshi-sama?"

" Quiet Misao." She obeyed and continued trying to see what he might be seeing. It didn't seem to make any sense. Was Aoshi trying to make sense of it? Misao shrugged and began following Aoshi as he took the path that Kenshin was taking. The hooves would be impossible to hear for the normal human. But to Misao and Aoshi they were faint.

" Where is Himura heading Aoshi-sama? With Kaoru on his back there must be some reason. Do you think they might be eloping?" His silence didn't tell her all that much though. She continued following her and Aoshi switching paths every now and then. Aoshi stopped a few jumps ahead of Misao, not as curious as the first time. She saw what he saw. They turned into a very dense area of wood that covered both them and their hoove stomps. There was a falling limbs and a few measely trees.

" He's going to Eviary, but he knows that we are following him."

" How can he know? We're meters behind him."

" Himura is one of those men. He has a very good sense. "

Misao nodded. She knew there was always something up with Kenshin that she couldn't understand. There was always the legends of him that was all around the trio of countries. The fears, the sureness. The feeling of protection that they said they always had as long as he was around.

" How do we get around that?"

" Stay out of his range."

--

The day was certainly a hot one out, and it was especially for one spikey-haired emperor. He'd turn to look over his shoulder ever cautiously. There couldn't be any tail whether it be friend or foe. This was critical.

He was in the dead center line of all three of the countries. The border was heavily armed any way you turned. Guards would look his way but never see due to the camoflague he wore. He backed gently against a tree and continued onward. By the vague map that he had picked up from a friend he was able to creep to past the wooded area and into a more deserted place. As he did, he felt the sweat begin to smear the camoflague on his face and make his shirt stick to his back heavily.

It was like the wood became a desert. He started to cross the sand at full guard, all senses on. He turned his head again back at the patrolling guards. They would never suspect anyone to want to come out in this place. Not with the heat. You would probably die of sunstroke after a few hours. He wiped his forehead to see the cover to be smearing all over his forearm. He began ridding himself of the rest of it as he inched onward.

He smiled when he found the thing that he was looking for. A large pile of stones that could be mistaken for a mound of mountains. He looked around it and felt for what he was looking for. His hand and his eye both saw it. What looked to be an ' out of place ' rock. A smile erupted onto his face in an almost cocky manner and he began tugging. It took a little more strength than he thought it would, but there was an opening with a set of stairs leading downward in the dark. He stepped into it. Automatically he felt the temperature difference and his body began to cool. With the might he used before had he forced the place to be sealed off and looked down the long winding steps if the hidden cavern.

About twenty steps down he found a torch that he was looking for. He took the lantern from his pack and lit it with the torch continuing down lantern guiding him. A few voices came into range that wee talking amongst themselves. It rattled off the walls as well as his footsteps. As he proceded closer, the voices hushed one another and steps came toward him.. He looked at the paper that Katsu had given him. There was a word that was written in the corner and he said it.

" Crest." Simple. The voices began up again and the people backed away.

Thirty more steps and he was at the bottom looking at what had to be over one hundred rebels. It wasn't just tough bulky men, but women and teenagers. Mothers that were protecting young children and following their husbands. There were women fighters with their swords or spears placed next to them. Some sipped tea looking serene even though you could clearly see the roughness in their faces. Others were scared. There was no certain age limit or class at this point.

One woman began to come over to him smiling with ruby red lips.

" You finally made it, huh tori-atama?"she asked.

" Nice to see you to Megistune." She laughed at him. Megumi the Medicine woman helped the resistance by making certain poisons or helping with any kind of substance she could conjour. As well as when they planned to go into battle, she would be the resident doctor.

" I'm glad you could come. These people need better leadership." Sanosuke nodded.

" I understand," he scanned everybody once more time. " This will be a very difficult thing to do, but I have Kenshin going to Eviary to infultrate to palace walls. I think that jou-chan will help us too."

" So, Her Highness is aware?" Megumi sked leading him to a blanket she had laid down on he rocky cavern bottom. Sanosuke sat cross-legged taking off the pack and the rest of the camoflague.

" Not only is she aware I'm guessing, but she will more than willing to take down her husband." Sanosuke slipped out of the heavy camoflague and into a light white jacket and pants. He made sure ' AKU ' was written on the back. " He's done too much to her for her to let him go for it. And then her and Kenshin I know have a relationshp somehow. She's never loved that bastard, but Kenshin is another story." He picked up a jug of sake that Megumi had produce drinking directly from it.

" You're aware that if you die what the consequences may be?" Megumi asked. Sanosuke nodded at what she said wiping off his mouth and laying out on the blanket. He looked at everybody smiling and talking to one another despite ragged features. He looked back to the lady doctor.

" Are you scared?"

" Of war?" she asked. After that she shrugged. " Everyone's afraid, but against that I'm ready for what lies ahead."

Sanosuke merely nodded.

--

Kenshin had entered a dense area of wood that covered them from the followers he'd gathered. It was obvious that it was Misao and Aoshi, but even they shouldn't follow him. He hardly wanted to take Kaoru with him due to the emense amount of danger he was putting her life at, but if he didn't take her, there was no way to get within the palace walls.

" Kenshin?" Kaoru questioned watching him cut down limbs and trees that were in his way. " Where are we?"

" It's a road less traveled Kaoru-dono. It will get us there sooner, I assure you." He said calmly. The speed of his steed never changed until even he realized they were in a little too deep. He started to slow the horse to a trot and stare at the circle of trees in a lost way. He looked over his shoulder from where he had come. It was of no help because he really didn't even know where he was in the first place. He kept his unsureness steady and walked the horse through the unknown place.

Kaoru had taken her head off his back and looked over his shoulder at the area they were in. Indeed it was dense, but there was a small path below overgrown with shrubs and roots. There were grasses protruding and leaves scattered heavily. She saw it and looked ahead. She had been on this trail before. As a child when her father was taking her to Jubyen to see the sights. He'd taken this road to lose the guard and prove that he was capable of defending himself.

" Lantern Trail..." she whispered smiling at the old memory.

" You know where we are Kaoru-dono?" Kaoru nodded.

With a curious smile she asked:" Do you Kenshin?"

" I am afriad I have forgotten this route. Taken it I have, remember it? I have not." He laughed to himself like this was all a joke and Kaoru had to admit this was something rather stupid on his part. He shrugged at his mistake.

" Keep going straight. They'll be a fork in the road and you turn...right. That will take you into Micea from the back I think," she gazed around at the scenes. " But guessing where we are that might take a day at full gallop," She stated. Kenshin nodded. He knew that and the day light would soon be setting leaving them with nothing but dark, dense wood to sift through. He thought ahead that he would deal with it when that time came. And it came very quickly.

When the sun did set Kaoru turned to Kenshin for him to know what to do. He stopped int he middle of the road and mounted the horse letting Kaoru stay a top as he cleared an area of leaves and twigs so they could settle against the trees. He helped her down and she touched it gracefully. Kenshin led her to the blanket he'd laid out for them and she sat on it. She liked to look up at the stars, but the canopy of the forest covered it to where only little slithers came through.

Kenshin sat next to her with his feet folded formally below him. He handed over a blanket that she suppose was suppose to be for him and suppose that there was only one of. She unfolded it and sat it across his lap as he handed her half of his dinner. They both stared upward even though the sky was impossible to see and made out shapes in the openings of the canopy like you would with the clouds.

Kaoru's eyes drew heavy and she found herself leaning up against Kenshin as a pillow. He didn't stop her. They took their chances while they could. Each of them knew when it came to getting to Eviary they would have to draw separate ways and probably never come across one another for another decade.

" Are you mad at me?" Kenshin asked in a whisper. Kaoru looked up to him as he continued to stare at the canopy.

" About what Kenshin?" she asked back. He finally looked down to her. His eyes were real bright, but they were soft for the moment. She could barely make him out as tired as she was.

" About bringing you to Eviary that while ago," he said," I always thought you would think it was my fault I put you through that hell."

" You didn't arrange the marriage, you just escorted me. Like you're doing now. There is no reason to blame you."

She snuggled up against him again smiling with her eyes closed. Kenshin stroked her hair real easily rubbing his fingers against each lock like it was something special. Kaoru felt this and it was making her forget all the atrosity that had occured lately. She pushed herself almost into his chest ans felt him lean down and kiss her head first to draw it up and then when she did kissed her against the lips. She was pleased this time, not shocked. And he pressed his lips against hers again. She had good feeling about this night.

--

Aoshi and Misao had stopped themselves in the trees far enough to see Kenshin and Kaoru getting cozy. Misao was a branch below Aoshi swinging her legs and giggling at everything. Aoshi had returned to his own stream of thoughts carefully watching Misao to make sure she was alright. He wouldn't admit that he knew that this would come real soon. He didn't have to.

Misao turned her attention to Aoshi for a moment with a blush getting deeper on her face.

Yeah right.

A/n: Yay, WAFF. I hope enjoyed that. And I thank my anonymous reviewer who really encourages me. Please! Continue. Till next time, KenSan out!


	11. Plot

A/N: Cool People! Cool people! Yay! You likie. ( Throws cookies) Enjoy! This chapter dedicated to my faithful reviewer **alwyzme**!

**Plot**

The young warriors footsteps clanged through the meeting hall pumping as hard as he could seeing the doors in front of him only get large and bounce with each step he took. All the others milling about after hard training looked at him without enough time to salute their superior. The brown-headed boy stopped momentarily to put his hands on his knees and catch his breath before he rose fully to the two armed guards vbefore the meeting hall doors.

" Your buisness?" One said flatly. Akira, clearing his throat, looked them straight in the eyes and answered.

" I must get in there." He told, just as flatly as the guard had asked.

" Permission not granted." The other said, ever just as flat. Akira scowled and brought forward his hand.

" I have an urgant message to deliver to Hiko-sama" he annouced. The two gave each other equally puzzling looks, but when they each thought it over grabbed a handle and pulled the doors open.

" Akira-san for you Hiko-sama!" One said to his right.

Hiko, sat the far edge of a long table looked up from his map of the three countries and pulled his hands behind his back ina formal manner. Each of his other generals stared rather blankly upon the subordinate knowing that he was out of place. Akira bowed at the waist, though unformal and looked back up to an angered Hiko.

" Hiko-sama,"

" What is so important to interrupt me in the middle of battle plans?" Hiko demanded in an ever strong voice. Akira gazed around the room at the other men and one woman that glared upon him just as Hiko did. He noticed only momentarily that one of the chairs closest to Hiko was empty, only making his news far more grave.

Akira, once again, cleared his throat to face Hiko and pulled out the scroll he brought tossing it to Hiko. All eyes turned to the general as he scanned the parchment very thoroughly. Though he thought he could do better things with his time, he suddenly realized that this was definately as important as it seemed.

" Are you so certain that this is true?" he asked trying to sound calm. The other generals whipsered amongst themselves, the closest spreading the word of what he saw to the rest.

Akira nodded. " I am afraid it is, sir. I checked. I saw Tiger-Lily-sama heading to the stables with Her Grace in tow. I don't know what their plan may be, or even his. But she did not seem the slightest bit pleased with the fact that he was practically dragging her. " Akira had this worried look on his face, and Hiko could only wonder what was running through his mind at that present moment. He dropped his head for a moment in thought about the contents of what Akira had read. That Kenshin had ran off again, though he always did, with Princess Kaoru whom he was dragging along with him to the stables.

" Is there anything else Kiyosato-san?" Hiko asked still remaining very chill.

" If you are wanting total conformation..."

" Hai Kiyosato-san. One of my generals and my deshi is missing! You find me unconcerned?" Akira's attitude was making it hard for Hiko to hold back his temper. Akira nerely shook his head and continued on.

" I checked in the stables as well. His long distance horse has also been found gone."

Hiko simmered down, he was not used to this. He had to turn around very casually and look out the window for a moment to the sky above. With that moment of thought he was talking with himself.

_I know my naka deshi, he's not that much of an idiot to try and kidnap some of high royalty. Kaoru nust have excepted an offer to come with him._ He lowered his head. _But then again, Kaoru is a stubborn one and Kenshin may have more or less forced her into coming with him. It wouldn't be my surprise. _he looked over his shoulder to Akira's very steady face. This almost smug lost was pressed upon it. Only enough so that Hiko was able to notice. He turned back to the window and stroked his chin for a moment thinking ever harder. _Why of all people would Akira report to me? Why not Soujiro? Why not Kamatari? But, Akira would be the last person to seem to care. I know where Kenshin is going and why he took Kaoru, but... _

" Hiko-sama?" One of the generals spoke up. " How much of a dilemma that Tiger-Lily-sama is not around?" The man was old, but he understood that Kenshin always went missing now and again to do his own work. There was even a time, right when the war broke out, the he had disappeared for what could have been months on end. Hiko lowered his head, is dark eyes looking at the map of the three countries. Antholl was at a disadvantage, though hid it well. Half the country had been invaded and taken from Sanosuke's grip.

" At this point," Hiko began looking to them all," I believe that Kenshin would have been one of our most crucial elements. Enishi believes he's dead therefore we would have gained advantage. The reason being, and I mean no offense, that they would be hardly frighrened if it was anyone other than my baka deshi. And with that playing in our hands, we could have pushed them farther away from the capital," he put his hands on the edge of the table letting his temper flare once again. " Dammit!"

" Hiko-sama?" the lady of the group, Shura, who commanded any sea fairing attack but was also a good on groud leader as well, spoke to the almost down trodden Hiko.

" Yes Shura?"

" How about we let Akira take his place. Surely Akira could be of our use. " Shura looked over to Akira who closed his eyes and leaned his head to the ground. She looked back to her leader. " Hiko?"

With a sigh and pulling himself together, Hiko straightened his back making him reach his full height and open his eyes. Though he seemed to have a second thought about letting Akira take Kenshin's place in both the meeting and on the battlefield, it was his only possible option at the very point.

" Very well Kiyosato-san. You will be Kenshin's replacement," the words burned at Hiko like acid as he sat once again prepared to speak. He was perplexed why Akira didn't make his attempt though. " Kiyosato-san?"

" I am afraid that I will have to dimiss myself Hiko-sama. I have things that I must attend to as well. I will take your commands as a subordinate. I dare not take Tiger-Lily-sama's place." He said bowing once more and turning to the door. Hiko raised a brow and scanned the room at the equally perpelxed group of people among him. But, with another quieting, Hiko got them back on track.

---

Akira walked with a bit of a skip in his step when he closed the door. His eyes closed and a smirk was on his lips. " This is just a little too easy."

When he made it back to his barrack, he opened a drawer and pulled out a piece of parchment starting to scratch on it with his quill. As he continued, his evil smile continued even more so to expand. He couldn't help but let out this vile laugh as he strapped it to one of the birds and send it on its way.

" When we are through, Antholl and dear Hiko will bow,"

--

Kenshin opened his eyes as light touched them from the canopy above. Kaoru was cuddling next to him, soft snores coming from her. Their bodies were covered to the neck with the blanket. If not, exposure was certain. He grabbed his vest, an appropriate magenta and crest for the Lotus and buttoned up white shirt underneath. He carefully slipped out of the cuddle, pulling the blanket up further on Kaoru.

He looked up at the snores that barely made it past all the limbs up. He picked up a small rock as well as his pants from the forest floor and tossed the rock up into the trees. They shook lightly at first, but them rattled with a soft scream of one girl being woken abruptly and beginning to crash through the many layers. After fully dressing himself, Kenshin stood beneathe the spot where the noise came and held out his arms as a small ninja dropped into them.

Misao rubbed the her and ridded it of leaves staring at Kenshin with a awestruck look. He merely smiled as he set her down and let her wake up, even though there was only a slim bit of sleep left in her. " A bit much, huh Himura?"

Kenshin only shrugged and turned back to look at Kaoru.

" Well, you two got...close." Misao said smiling almost pervertedly. Kenshin tried his best from blushing at Misao's statement. He picked up his ribbon laying haphazard in the dust and brushing it off before pulling back his crimson hair and steadying himself.

" It is not your concern Misao-dono, and I hope that you keep this between us and the forest." Kenshin said turning as leaves fell for what seemed to be no reason. He smiled at the sight of Aoshi landing gracefully on his feet and stepping to Misao.

" Ohayou Himura-san," he said calmy. Kenshin nodded back to man and turned back to Kaoru picking up a few of her loose garments before anyone else took the chance to see them. Aoshi watched Kenshin neatly fold the clothes and set them by the slumbering Kaoru. He resisted the urge to kiss her on the forehead as possible as it was. But, this was nothing more than a one night stand to Kenshin, and Kaoru agreed to this as well.

" Himura, you think that you would be able to get away with Kaoru without our knowledge?" Aoshi asked coolly. Kenshin lept his silence as there was nothing else to say at this point. When Kenshin hadn't said anything, Aoshi continued making the few insinuations that he found from this. " You and the princess are..." he jabbed his finger between the two. Kenshin gave him this look and then turned away when he heard Kaoru stir.

" Um..Kenshin?" she asked sleepily. Kenshin stepped over to her and picked up his belt strapping it on and putting the sword in it. Kaoru looked over tightening the blanket around her body.

" Ohayou Your Majesty." He said with a nod. Kaoru looked forward seeing her ' bodyguards ' looking at her.

" Ohayou to you to, Sir Kenshin." she said with a laugh. She sounded drunk.

She'd seen how he had strapped the sword in his belt and thought about how her hands wrapped around it and forced him to remove it. She was just as willing as he was. Kenshin stood to stop himself from resisting the urges to run kisses down her neck. Though, last nights chanannigans had been the same as the thoughts he was having. A small bruise like mark on the right side of her neck that she carefully hid with her cascading hair. The red headed warrior handed her her clothing and picked up the blanket summoning Misao over to hold up one end and he held up the other. They shielded the royal from exposure to the forest as she artfully clothed herself.

Kenshin dropped the blanket and Misao folded it while Kenshin handed Kaoru her cloak and bow. She gave him this smile and ran her fingers around her lips. Kenshin's hand shot up to his cheek and wiped the pinkish smear on it as she giggled.

Misao brought his horse over. " Now, Your Highness, no way your feet ought touch this ground." He said picking her up bridal style and putting her side-saddled on his horse. No doubt that her thoughts came to her terrible encounter with Enishi, but the bliss seemed to cover the pain. She held his waist that was in a non-seductive way as not to give anything away. Misao and Aoshi returned to the tree tops following them while Kenshin let them.

--

Magdaria held her hands in front of her as she walked down the corridor of the barracks. Shougo had been put in an empty one where she roomed with him. She'd been biting her lip all after she had found that Kaoru was indeed a royal that had a lot to do with the war. She was so down to earth though it seemed that she was more civilian even being that she was raised as a royal since birth.

Her hands wrapped around her cross as she passed rooms. Several had the soldiers singing, them there was loud snoring. She looked to see which doors were ajar which was barely any. That was why one specifically stuck out. She walked past it like it was nothing, but she heard the meniacle laughter sending a chill down her spine. She back-tracked and peered in the ajar door.

" Now Himura, all your work to waste.." she heard. Kenshin came to her mind. Her fingers wrapped around the wooden frame, her head sliding forward to hear better. She was feeling bad for eaves-dropping, but it might save lives.

" Missing, the idiots. Now I can lead these fools off course. Kill the lot of them. Eviary deserves this power. " He laughed again. Magdaria felt a cough rising in her throat but forced it down letting it bounce around her chest. She focused her sights on him. He had brown hair and it was tied in a a top-knot. He had this smirk on his face and his brows were furrowed. In his hands he held a bow that he was restringing tighter and arching his arrows in it. There was a few times that he even had two or three in his hand at a time. He laughed; still testing the bow.

" But you'll suffer. Dammit if Hiko doesn't know I look at the mail. To Eviary you go Himura. You won't get there. You'll be sliced in the back just like Tomoe..." he laughed.

Magdaria couldn't resist herself and put her hand to her mouth as she let out a cough, blood sputtering on her hand and down her poncho. The man, Magdaria now recognized as Akira, shot his head up giving Magdaria a heavy scowl as he rose.

Magdaria already began to turn and run, a coughing fit ensuing in her chest but she forced herself onward. She slammed into the wall several times, her shoulder scrapping. Akira had his bow in hand as he chased her down.

" You little wench!" he roared plucking an arrow from his sack and arching it, standing unanimated as he pulled the arrow back as far as he could without breaking the string.

All the while, Magdaria ran yelling between coughs: " Shougo! Brother!" she had tears falling down her cheeks and stopped as the arrow flung past her ear catching hairs and knicking the lobe. She stopped and turned looking forward to she her brother coming to her rescue. His sword glinted, but Akira was nothing of afraid. He drew back another arrow and shot. At that time, Shougo wrapped his left arm around Magdaria to shield her as the arrow struck his shoulder. He fell to a knee and pulled out the arrow as he pushed his brown headed sister behind him. With senses aware, he cut the arrows as they hurled toward him. Akira clenched his teeth and ran closer.

" Damn you meddling pests!" he roared again. He shot another arrow at Shougo who deflected it and took a swing at Akira. It ripped the material of his crested vest, but he jumped back in enough time to not be cut. They gave each other stern looks in the eyes and locked on their targets. They both ran as Magdaria scooted to the side of the corridor holding her poncho closed and shaking at the battle. Arrows stormed past Shougo as he moved masterfully in the blink of an eye. His sword glinted powerfully catching the Lotus warrior off his guard. But then something occured that made Magdaria give a blood-curdling scream. Akira reached at the end of his bow. It was an unusal one. The arch straight rather than arched. He, in one quick move, pulled out his own blade and sliced down hitting Shougo's sword arm. He fell to a knee again, the blood falling between his fingers and staining the green fabric he wore. It dropped in heavy amounts to the ground, staining the grey floor.

Akira walked over picking up the sword to keep Shougo from attacking again. He kneeled to look at the struggling Jubyen warrior.

" Trash like you does not deserve the honor you are recieving. But Himura didn't either. You will get a front row seat to his death. He's walking right into the guillitine(sp?)" Shougo's eyes glinted. " And your precious little sister...Well, she can prove useful to m..."

A sharp pain penetrated Akira's muscle in his thigh. Though wounded, Shougo managed to quietly pull out a dagger from his robes and hit Akira.

" You devil. You'll go to Hell..." blood fell over his lips as the flow in his shoulder worsened. Akira forced Shougo's weak hand from the dagger as he pulled it out of his thigh flinging it far down the hall.

" Your not in the position to make threats you Christian trash!" He grabbed Shougo by the collar of his robes and forced him off his knees. " You come with me...or you see your sister lose her virginity..."

Shougo saw Magdaria crying her eyes out at What Akira was saying. When he turned her way, as of needing guidance, she shook her head to him. He lowered his head. It was hard to except the defeat, but he managed as he was dropped to the floor.

He turned to retrieve all the weapons and as he did, Shougo managed to sit and look at Magdaria saying...

" Sayo, run as far as you can. I don't want you to see what I'm about to do. Ask God forgiveness," he wasn't stupid. He grabbed the second dagger from his robes and stood, shaking from the blood loss.

" Shougo, you're.."

" I'm fine Sayo..go, find Hiko...no find HImura. Find him fast." Magdaria stood and started running, not even questioning what her brother was doing.

Magdaria saw her brother advancing near Akira with the dagger held behind his back. The blood still fell to the floor, but Akira turned to see Magdaria running and pushing out the door to get away from Akira. She heard a scream that scared her pretty bad, but she dare not look back. She just continued to run.

A/N: So...now we're getting somewhere. Akira's plans? And who died? You'll have to wait. Till next time. KenSan out!


	12. Merging

A/N: I liked the last chappie, and I see that you did too. Thank you reviewers, and please, leave me long rants...they're enjoyable. Okay, well here we go again...

**Merging**

It was late in the cavern, the rebellious folk sitting and conversing as Sanosuke still laid sprawled and thinking. He would have to get up sometime and do this. And as the moments ticked by he tried to configure when he sent the letter to Kenshin, that being the time that he left for the cavern, and he also tried to figure in the elasped time it would take for Kenshin to make it to Eviary. But, he wasn't what you would call being good at math. He picked up the sake' bottle and sipped down the last of it. Megumi gave him a look that meant he'd better do it while he had the motivation. He rose slowly and gazed around at tall the faces trying a hard to know what he wanted to say. As he compacted it, he stepped over to an elevated rock that would make for a good platform.

" People!" he said, resisting the urge to look at his hands as he spoke. He had done it as a child when he had to speak in front of the court, as his father was teaching him. His sister had inherited that trait, and most of the time she was right when she spoke and she was true. She always knew what to put first.

" We have gathered here in secret, and whether it be to get away from the fighting ot get involved is not my thing to guess. " He began. the faces were staring at him now.

" But, whatever the reason, we are down here and hold a common bond. Down here we have farmers; warrior; royals," he said thinking of himself. " But, down here it doesn't matter what we are...whether we are pauper or wealth, we are here for a second purpose...Enishi Yukishiro!" he yelled. He may not get others in, but he was surely getting himself into this.

" This man, for whatever reason has started this war. And a princess gave away her chances to marry and bethroated herself to this man..,no this demon to save us." Sanosuke lowered his head. It was a terrible thing to think about. " He has deifed that treaty and attacked our borders; destroyed our homes, our lives. Our famillies. He's kill for his chances; he's raped, he's stolen. Yet, he sits in his palace deciding the last thing he needs to do is get on the battlefield." Sanosuke felt beads of sweat form on his forehead and he lowered it again.

He caught the eye of Megumi who seemed overwhelmed by his speech. " We have forces gathering near his palace as we speak. The dreaded Battosai, enemy of Enishi, is on his way as well. Tonight, we will fight for our countries before he can take over Crest, over the Gsen area. Tonight, we will kill Enishi as he sleeps."

He threw his head up with force. " And tomorrow, we'll feast on his breakfast. The dreaded Enishi will fall! " Sanosuke had to think of a way to end it.

" This is the final battle of the war. Our last chance to take back what is ours. Who is with me?!" he threw his fist in the air and the rebels rose with their voices loud and faces tough. Sanosuke knew he could do it. He stepped form the platform and began to a second tunnel that lead toward Eviary.

The dark-haired doctress walked at the side of the emperor, but he was right. He was no longer and emperor, he was just a man on a mission.

" So, how far do you suppose we are from the capital?" he asked her. Other than the fact that Megumi was a medicine woman, she was also a very good navigator. These tunnels were the ones that she knew, and she knew every route on them. They were the reason she could pop up randomly and treat the injured.

" We will be on Camill Road when you see the roots," she told him. That was all that he needed to know. At the moment, he was seeing sand of the desert they were under slipping through the cracks of the rocks. He just kept his eye out for the tree roots.

For the while, there was hardly any conversing, nothing that was important. When they were dead silent, the wheels in the lady doctor's head began turning. She lowered her chin to her chest practically, she knew things about the war that the emperor next to her didn't. And, she might not have thought that she knew when Kenshin was rambling in his drugged state, but thought to it and it all made sense.

Kenshin, like Kaoru was in the treaty with Eviary. He was to wed the princess Tomoe. And he did, and they lived very peacefully like hermits in the forest. But, one day he got a message that there wa an uprising, and by Hiko's command, he was to destroy it. He was more than willing to of course and he bid his wife good-bye as he strode into battle. But Tomoe wasn't the taking chances type and she followed her husband to the sight seeing the bloody massacre before her eyes. Somewhere along the line though, she was caught in the middle. She, several months pregnant with her and Kenshin's first child, was slashed in the back under whatever circumastance.

Megumi was nearby and watched the red-headed warrior place his bloody wife on the bed that night. She was pushed away by her master when the curtain was pulled as she was only an apprentice. But, she still didn't understand why Kenshin was so guilty about that happening. It seemed like such a sheer mistake that he had nothing to do with. But, whatever the reason, Megumi did know why he was gone for so long. His disappearing. His mourning for his wife an unborn child.

Megumi drew her head up when she heard,

" Megistune." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sanosuke looking at her worried. She turned her head with a smile on her lips as she saod,

" Hai?"

" You alright?" he began," you were thinking pretty hard."

" Iie, I'm just a little worried about all of this."

Sanosuke shrugged. " I guess it makes sense."

" Do you have anything to fight with Sano?"

" Just these." He answered holding out his fists. Megumi nodded. Sanosuke, is anything, had a lot of stamina and a lot of power in him. His fists could be lethal weapons if he needed to. And he was even more a force to be reckoned with when he had his zanbato. He didn't though because it would have been too conspicious to come to the cavern.

As they drew on, Sanosuke placed his hand on the caverns walls for support while his legs cramped minorly. He rubbed them out of it and pressed on. The only thing on his mind was seeing Enishi's blood splattered over his throne room. He smiled, almost evilly, as he thought about it, but turned it to a scowl forcing himself to keep at a steady pace.

Up ahead he saw something that would block his path. The bridge that connected people into the Eviarian capital was crushed in the middle. However, he looked back at those following him as they stopped and asked for a rope more than gladly being handed it. He looped it around at a stalagtite on the roof and tugged with all his might to be sure that it wouldn't cave in. He swung across, Tarzan-like, and motioned for Megumi to followed. She checked to make sure her medicines were medicines in her box were locked before she threw it over to Sanosuke. She swung across like it was nothing new.

Everyone else followed ina matter of minutes and Sanosuke coaxed them onward, they complied. And the reason he really wanted them to keep going was he knew that he was close. His pace even began to pick up and he knew he was almost directly under until...

" Oh hell no..."

--

Magdaria ran as she could out of those doors and what had to be then three times around the grounds after seeing the same training group for the third time. She stopped and took a breath. She knew that she needed to find Kenshin, and she knew that she was not going to be able to get there on her feet in her condition. Her coughing would weigh her down. She also knew there were stables, but the last thing she wanted to do was steal a horse.

Then, her mind started thinking about what she heard when she ran out. The harsh scream that came from those doors and the two thoughts that crossed her mind, neither pretty. She first thought about her brother slithering near the evil Akira with his dagger in hand. She imagined that he would stab the man through the heart and kill him. But she knew that if that were the cause then Shougo would have came out to help her. Then, there was the chance that Akira was able to strike Shougo. Magdaria knew that her brother wasn't invincible, but she knew that he was certainly near that.

She stopped thinking about what had goen on there, not wanting to imagine possbilities. There was too much blood in either.

From afar, a spikey-haired boy caught sight of the brown-haired maiden and saw she was in a serious pardicament. He walked over and asked,

" Are you looking for something?"

" I need to get to Himura." She said fast. Yahiko, the boy, nodded at that and turned.

" Come on, we'll get a horse from the stable then ..."

" I will not steal..."  
" You won't be stealing." Yahiko assured the the woman. She looked at him odd, but followed him to the stables and to the back of them to get to a chesnut colored horse that looked rather old. She whinnied at Yahiko as he petted her nose.

" This is Bessie. She's usually used for beginner riders with their weapons. But, I'm sure that Hiko won't mind that you go on her. She's rarely used anymore." Yahiko explained. Magdaria eyed the boy for a moment and then carefully pet the horse as he began saddling it. She looked in it's black eyes for a moment wondering what she would do. He was offering so it wouldn't be stealing. As he finished she, in one fluid motion, put her foot on the stirrup and got herself on.Yahiko looked at her impressed as she trotted out of the stable with her head held high. She looked back to Yahiko halting the horse.

" Are you coming with me?" she asked strongly. Yahiko lowered his bokken from his shoulder and sheathed it on his back. He brought himself up on the horse with Magdaria's help. She, with her head forward said: " Hold tight to me. I'll be going as fast as Bessie will let me." She informed. Yahiko was reluctant to put his hands around her waist, her being a woman. She pushed the horse to a gallop and turned at the beginning of the Warrior's Pass.

'_ This is for you Shougo. '_

--

Inside, the battle that had ensued between Akira and Shougo had stopped when Shougo struck Akira with the dagger. He smiled at his accomplishment, only to have Akira whip around and smack him in the face. Shougo stumbled back with drunken like stepped and coughed up more blood. His wounds only grew worse as the time elapsed. Akira growled and hissed at his knew wound in his side. He felt the dagger slip from his side and clatter on the ground. He wanted to duble over in pain, but he knew he had to deal with Shougo first.

He kneeled to the man and took him by the collar again. " You know...you're one lucky bastard, I'm not going to kill you...not yet. You'll prove a helpful asset to me. My little hostage. " He picked up Shougo and brought him to his room bounding his wrists and ankles. He also tied a gag in Shougo's mouth sitting the wounded peacemaker on the wall. Blood had already stained the white strip in his mouth.

" You're persistant, maybe you're worth more than Himura. And don't think I don't know about little Sayo..."

Shougo tried yelling at the man to not call Magdaria by her original name, but it was impossible.

" As I was saying..." he continued cleaning his wounds carefully. " I know you sent her to look for Himura. He he, good luck with that. She's a flower, it's beautiful, but powerless." He laughed as he wrapped the wound in his chest and his thigh.

Shougo growled beneath the gag and lowered his head as blood continued to soak into it. It was obvious that Akira was trying to choke him with his own blood. He gazed up, his vision blurry. He hardly saw Akira correctly, but enough to see that he was dressing and constantly staring back to his captive in a paranoid fashion. Shougo acted as weak as he could, dropping his head like he was passing out a few times. When Akira had desposed of his bloody clothes, he stepped over to Shougo with the dagger in his hand.

" You know what this is, trash?"

Shougo was scared as it got closer to him with the curved point. It touched his left cheek real lightly, as it did, it knicked hairs off. " I'm sure you do. And it has my blood on it...right?" Shougo felt it skim down his face easy enough that it wouldn't cut him. " Now, what part of you should be opened first?" he asked with that satanic grin. Shougo didn't show any fear, but inside he was terrified as the knife slipped to his throat. " This is a fine place to start I think, but then I have to keep you alive, and this would hurt your jugular."

He smiled, " Oh well, we can't all keep our promises now can we?"

As it started to skin in there was a knock at the door and Akira pulled the blade away. Shougo hid his sigh of relief as the brown-headed warrior stabbed it into the wall.

" Be thankful for these precious moments trash..." he sneered and put ona smile as he creeked the door open just enough that you couldn't see anything.

" Yes?"

" C'mon Akira, the general is telling battle plans, you'll be gutted if you don't know what you're doing..." Akira nodded and looked back at Shougo with scowl as he departed.

Sitting against that wall Shougo thought that there was nothing more that he could do but be able to wait for God to take him to Heaven, but he looked up in the blood loss haze to see the red smeared blade extending like a handle from the wall. He started pushing his feet on the wooden floor, slipping in the little pool below him. But, somehow he manaage to be able to stand and start to carve the rope around his hands. It snapped after a few moments and his hands dropped to his sides as well as his butt to the floor. He took out the blood soaked gag coughing as he undid the rope on his ankles.

There was only one thing that he needed to do at that was alert Hiko of everything that had just happened. He grabbed his sword lying against the bunk and putting it in his obi. While so, he used the cloth that Akria had gagged him with to tie up his injured arm.

He slugged his way through the barracks, each step becoming more deseparate to continue. The exit seemed to be getting further and further away from him, but he managed to get to the stairs and started toward the elaborate door at the end of the marbled hall. There was no one in sight, and he was both thankful and hateful, glad that they didn't rush him to an infirmary before Hiko did something he would regret, and hateful that there was no one around to help him.

He touched the door and pulled on the handle revealing the dimmed office. Hiko stood in the window with his long white cape on preapred to fight. He turned to look at Shougo with surprise.

" Don't...send and army..." he tried saying..." Akira's a traitor...Eviary will expect it," but before anything else could fall out of his mouth, his body made a ' thump' to the carpet. Hiko couldn't respond.

--

The heaviness of the forest was starting to fade, at least on the unknown trail that the red-head had taken. The princess was asleep peacefully on his back and her guards were like monkeys jumping from above. He pulled her hand back on his shoulder as it slippe doff and he looked forward as they merged with the Camill Road and seeing the wall to the palace in sight. Kenshin swallowed, and Misao and Aoshi came from the trees to stop the rider.

Misao looked over her shoulder with her fingers to her lips. He nodded as Aoshi crept his way to the palace walls very inconspicuously.

" Dismount Himura." Misao commanded. He did so, waking Kaoru in the process as he tied the horse to a tree. Kaoru held his hand as they walked forward. A small light went from a high tower in the palace and Misao pushed them back waiting for it to stop in one position. She heard a call from Aoshi that signalled it was okay and they began to run.

" We'll use a servants entrance," Misao said as they got close. Her hands ran along the same paved wall and she knocked until she heard something hollow. She beamed and opened the wall, all four of them walked into the quarters, Aoshi lighting a small match from his cloak. Misao motioned them more forward and straight. She saw everything in this light and alerted the other, hence Kenshin and Kaoru, to the cobwebs and other uneven things that could cause noise. Her hands touched something, and the illumination made out a wooden ladder.

" Come on."

She pushed up a block in the floor as Aoshi put out the match. They all climbed up, Kaoru being led by Kenshin. She smiled and thanked him. Kaoru then took them through evrey hall. They wanted to go to the throne room. The darkenss of the palace, and the emptiness of the corridors gave her a chilling feeling about everything.

They reached the throne room that seemed equally empty until she heard a laughter echo from the walls.

" My little princess has returned to me, and she has become a common whore yes?" Kaoru cringed behind Kenshin in fear of the demonic voice. A clap came on the walls and two large lamps of fire above the thrones came on. In the room was more than Enishi. There were two sets of armored and armed warriors.

" Let the games begin..."

A/N: I wrote the first part of this, and it got deleted from the computer. Luckily, I remembered most of it. I hope you enjoyed. Again, thank you reviewers. Till next time KenSan out!


	13. Fighting

A/N: I'm alittle down-trodden, I work hard and don't get much for it. Aw, well, I guess you can't have everything that you want right? Well, I think that you will like this one as well.

**Fighting**

Kenshin was wide-eyed at Enishi. His cruel sick joke was getting really bad. The troops of guards were advancing, and though they weren't unarmed and helpless, four against hundreds or so was not a good bet. And if Kenshin knew Enishi like he knew Enishi, he would fight dirty as he possibly could against everyone.

Kenshin backed up with his arm protectively in front of Kaoru, like she was utterly defenseless. But, Kaoru was comforted and slightly safer knowing that not only was Kenshin on her side, but Aoshi and Misao were too. She seemed to forgot that these average people were not as average as they seemed.

" Aoshi, Misao!" Kenshin called out. Misao looked back while Aoshi waited. " I do not wish to command you, but I think it would be wise that each of you take one army and I'll do anything I can in both." Misao nodded and pulled kunai from her cloak it seemed. Aoshi drew his kodachi. At least they understood that they needed to protect Kaoru and get this obsticle out of the way.

Kenshin had his hand on his sword still in front of Kaoru. She backed herself into the hallway, telling well that that was what Kenshin was trying to do so that she could get away. But, Enishi, with glinting eyes, stood and snapped his fingers. A loud clanging forced Kenshin to turn around and see bars lock Kaoru off on each side of the hall. She was trapped.

Kenshin placed his hands on the bars seeing Kaoru sitting on the ground in awe. She looked past Kenshin opening her mouth and lifting her hand to point to the advancing royal. " Ken..."

But it was too late. Enishi had already launched himself to Kenshin with an unsheathed sword. The red-headed warrior moved to the side as Enishi hit the bars which were well enforced. He turned to Kenshin and swung again, their swords clanging. Kaoru was standing far away from the bars watching everything like she was watching a film. Aoshi and Misao were taking out many of the guards and throwing them to the side of the thrown room in bloody heaps. Aoshi was working twice as hard. They always tried to encircle him. They were of course sadly disappointed.

Kaoru was on the end of the room that protected her from the violence in front of her. She desperately searched for Kenshin that had disappeared with Enishi. The sword clanging was growing weaker and weaker as Aoshi and Misao took out more and more of the enemy. Finally, her husband came into view with the man that she had to say that she was infatuated with. There was no blood yet, but each were both in that stage. Their eyes on each other at every moment. Their opponent having the enemy mirrored in their eyes.

As their swords clashed, sparks more visable in the dim light, the lights flickered from above. Enishi swiped his foot in their close range and Kenshin side-stepped to jump out of the way from it. Enishi then swung his double-edged sword near Kenshin's neck. The red-head warrior ducked. Then, as soon as ducked he started to sweep-kick Enishi who jumped as well as moved backward. Kenshin followed Enishi back, only thinking that Enishi was starting to try and run away. Their swords still clashed as they moved up the velvet red steps to the thrones.

" Stop running!" Kenshin demanded in a hollow voice. There he was. The Battosai that everybody feared. His eyes a shimmering amber tinted widely when the flames struck them. He bared his teeth, acting on an animal instinct. There was so much that he had on his mind that pushed him to fight this man. Not only Kaoru, but Tomoe as well.

The sadistic grin on Enishi's face showed no sign of giving up. But he wa a king, and he didn't get there only by blood. The Eviarians were first a nation that was connected and separated years ago between Antholl and Jubyen, but in rebel they separated to create their own barbarian nation. So, the king had to be at least a little barbaric. And Enishi was definately on the brabaric side.

" Who said anything about running Himura? " he asked between clenched teeth. His hand slipped to the throne and even placed his feet on the pillowed seat. He reached giving another swipe of his sword grabbing a rope and pulling it. Kenshin had no time to react when Enishi plummeted the brick floor beneath him. His sword drug into the cracks appearing. His feet dangled to the bottomless pit below. Something a bit like Sulvin's Cresent, except this had no shelfs to fall on. He forced his arms to pull himself up by the sword handle. Enishi stepped on the half unstuck brick ready to fall. Kenshin's sword started to fall as did he into the pit. He grabbed to the edge scrapping his nails into the wedges between bricks. You could only see half of his face; his intimidating eyes as he struggled not to fall. He glanced over to Kaoru where fear was written heavily on her face.

Enishi stepped forward, the bricks encircling the hole ever frail. " Now, Battosai, you think that I would kill you in such a simple way as this? " he laughed. " Just hang around and watch the show."

Kenshin turned his head the little extent he could as Enishi went to Kaoru who was hanging on the bars to know that Kenshin was alright. She began stepping away. Just the aura that Enishi emitted scared her. He had his hands out to her in this ' what's wrong ' kind of way. She closed her cloak and put herself in the dead center of the prison he held her in. He pressed himself on the bars and slithered an arm through.

" You might lose that Enishi." Kaoru tried to threaten.

" Dearest, you think that you can hurt me? Not even the great Battosai could lay a finger on me. You? Ha!" He pulled his arm from the cell. " Now, how bad of a whore have you became dear?" Kaoru knew not to answer at all. Giving him any opportunity to make her out as one. She only clenched her cloak further and leane dher head to hide the hickey Kenshin had given her.

" You're hiding something from me dear."

" Get away you vile snake."

" I'm being nice. Get over here! Now!"

From a far Kenshin tried to find something to put his feet on, but it was all empty space any way he pushed his feet. Just trying to walk on air. His nails were starting to tug from the skin as they dug further pulling up grout. Misao looked over after she'd finished stunning her opponents. Aoshi also had and they started near Kenshin. Misao dove to get to Kenshin, but the floor beneath her also dropped from her feet. She hooked to the floor like Kenshin had using her kunai. Aoshi made sure to jump and not touch the floor expect to jump back up again. Misao dragged herself up only to have it crumble. Kenshin's eyes looked at eveyone's danger, fearing he'd dragged them all into this mess.

Aoshi dropped close to Enishi, knowing well that he wouldn't drop the floor near his own person. The snowy-haired man looked up to the floors above them and put his hand up. Spears fell from nowhere, attempting to skewer Aoshi. He jumped between them all, his clothes ripping. His cloak was pinned to the ground which he ripped off.

" Aoshi-sama!" Misao called out, her distress more than obvious. Kenshin pulled his person up inch by inch to get his feet nearer the egde to grapple something.

" Now, my pretty..." he said, looking at her sympathetically. Kaoru kept holding her cloak. " Come..." he said breathy. But, he wasn't calling to her. The wall behind her started to creep forward. She inched to find the middle knowing it was the safest spot, but she only got closer to Enishi.

" You want to be paste my dear?" he asked, " just come here and I'll let you go. I promise." he said with his hands up in a surrrender like motion. Kaoru crawled closer, but because she moved slower, the wall began coming much faster. In fear she darted to the bars as a comfort. It stopped when Enishi was able to grab her wrist.

" Good dear, now, let me see what's under your hair child." He pushed away enough hair to see the hickey on her neck. Kaoru swallowed, knowing that she was at his mercy. Though his face showed a smile, evil as it was, his grip only tightened further on her wrist. " He did you didn't he? The wolf. Betraying sister. " He said like he was lost in time. Kaoru tried pulling away from Enishi desperately. As it seemed he had enough pressure to crack the bone, a kodachi was thrusted right by his face. Enishi came from the reverie and moved enough a distance to let the kodachi hit the bar and knick his cheek. .

" Shinomori!" he said slightly in pleasure. But, it wasn't him that threw it, Kenshin had his elbow ready to ram it into Enishi's ribcage.

---

Hiko didn't know what to think after Shougo had came into his office and passed out. _Akira? A traitor?_ He thought as he walked the corridors. Now he was regretting already sending the army out to battle.

Kamatari was behind the general talking in rage.

" Where the hell is Kenshin, and Kaoru? How are they both gone? Why does he always go poof! Errrr...I hate this. And Akira, telling me that Kenshin might have kidnapped her..."

" Enough worry Kamatari...enough. Believe nothing of what you heard from Akira. He's not to trust. And I've already sent them on their way. I can't do anything.

" You could send a pigeon to him..."

" I know...I've done that, but I don't know if he knows if I'm aware or not."

" Who told you?"

" Amasuka. He stumbled into my office wounded." Hiko said turning the hallway. Kamatari looked around at the surrounding area they were in, wondering why Hiko was taking him down the infirmary hallway.

" Why are we coming here?"

" To talk to Shougo,"

" Oh, about Akira?" Kamatari questioned. Hiko tried to resist the urge to turn around and slap Kamatari. Instead he nearly massaged his temples and continued walking as if nothing was said.

" Hai. About Akira." Hiko said.

" Can I skin him? Please, please, please, please pleeeaaaaseeee?" Hiko weighed the pros and cons to this. Akira would be off his back, and Kamatari would be very happy. That did bode well, but then again, that would mean he wouldn't learn a thing from Akira.

" Let me suck the information and then maybe you can."

Behind, Kamatari did a little victory dance while walking along. Hiko shook his head. This is the reason he didn't want to say yes to Kamatari.

He stopped in front of a door where a short grey haired doctor held his hands behind his back looking into the window. Hiko smiled and crossed his arms waiting.

" Gensai?"

The old doctor jumped to turn around and look at Hiko scared.

" Hiko-sama? Must you do that?" he merely shrugged trying to see past the doctor and through the shades that protected the room.

" Is this Shougo?"

" Hai, he is still very, very weak from the blood loss; he refuses to fall asleep as well, even against the medication." Gensai said. Hiko nodded and continued trying to look into the window. " Since he is awake, you may see him but only for a few moments so that he may fall asleep." Hiko nodded and started into the room, Gensai on his tail. Kamatari only peaked into the room to see the white room with the disinfectant. Kamatari only backed away, not liking the way that Shougo was lying almost lifeless.

Hiko floated in quietly as not to disturb any other soldiers that were lying behind partitions. He kneeled close to Shougo looking up to the ceiling with his eyes half-lidded. His shoulder was bandaged and slung up. He turned his head to look at Hiko with bleary eyes.

" I suppose that you want to know more about Akira correct?" he asked very hoarse. Hiko folded his arms tightly and thought about how to appproach this subject delicately. He opened his mouth and then closed it again. Shougo closed his eyes and looked back to the ceiling for no real interested reason. He smiled.

" Why?" Hiko asked, seeing as that was all that he could get out.

" Akira is planning something devious against Himura. I don't see why it would be, but it seems to be a past scar." Hiko nodded, and thought about what would touch Akira that hard to want to kill Kenshin and hurt anyone else in the process.

" He's from Eviary, though I think you must have deduced that as well right?" Hiko nodded.

" I can't do all that much at this point. He's sent out to battle and Kenshin is gone with Kaoru." Shougo was beginning to close his eyes in tiredness.

" Maybe, it has to do with love?" he asked, the medicine starting to knock him out.

Hiko stood, with that small piece of information, he was able to configure what must have happened.

--

Sanosuke was looking head-on to a large army. The rest of the men behind him decided that they were ready to fight to protect themselves. Seeing these men prepared to fight so was he. Megumi backed into the rebels knowing that she couldn't fight with no weapons on her. Sanosuke charged, head first, with his fist cocked behind his head ready to hit anyone that came his way.

His first target pratically crushed the man's armor throwing him back into the other soldiers. They looked down to the fallen man, and then up to Sanosuke seething at what he'd just done. They charged to him and the battle commensed.

There was a chorus of clanging and sparks overhead from steel hitting one another. There was growling and blood, a few screams echoing in the cavern. Sanosuke beat down another one of the men and looked to Megumi about to be tackled by a beefy man with no neck. She looked down at her silver medicine box for a moment, then to the no-necked man. She lifted it up high and swung it around to hit his unprotected head hard. He stumbled back for a moment, his sight on the strong-willed doctress. He charged with a sword toward her. Megumi ducked and hit him in the knees with the box again. He fell, and she rose only to be lifted by the waist by another no-necked man.

Sanosuke was not about to take this and ran to Megumi striking the man in the back with his foot as hard as he could. The man started to fall dropping the doctress. Sanosuke catched her before she hit the ground. Though she was slightly shaken, she saw the sword laying on the ground and picked it up. It was pretty heavy, but she gave a few practice swings before the grin formed on her face.

Sanosuke watched her walk into the battle for a moment then disappear with a battle cry. All Sanosuke could think was: _Man women are scary._

---

Magdaria knew where she was, she was almost in the border area, seeing Micea draw near. Her butt was sore from all of the riding, and Yahiko was getting alittle sick going up and down so much, but he tried to handle it as they climbed th hill to see Micea, or maybe...,what was left of Micea.

Smoke billowed from the town with a few sparkling embers before them. A few families still lingered on the edge of the town with worry in their eyes. Magdaria was doing all she could from crying at all of this. She lowered her head as she passed all of the people looking at her. She sliently prayed for each of them, and for any at all lost that they reach Heaven safely. Yahiko listened to her chanting as they went through the town at a slower pace. He'd never seen anything this bad, and he'd have to say that it scared the piss out of him to know that they were doing all they could to finish the war.

Soon, they exited the place and Magdaria acted like she never saw a thing. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she galloped on to the border heavily protected. That didn't matter, she stormed through the gates and past the men who yelled, but were only left in the dust by her speed. The journey was still a ways away, but she would get there. And in any hope, that no more cities were turning into cinders.

--

Kenshin found himself against the wall, Enishi's sword sheath pressed against his neck hard enough to make him want to gasp for breath. He held his hands hard on the wall looking at the angered Enishi. He'd tried to hit Enishi, who countered drawing him backward tot he wall with the sheath and the sword as his weapons against the unarmed Kenshin.

" I will teach you suffering!" he roared. The rage in his eyes and the aura he emitted was truly strong. " I will teach you the suffering you bestowed upon my sister. The pain that you have caused to everybody in the Crest. You caused all the tormeny, the war Himura! You started, all because you made one girl suffer!"

" She didn't suffer, she did on her own will..."

" Shut up Himura! You killed her, you made her suffer! It was your sword that struck her!"

" She was doing wanted!"

" I didn't command you to talk you dog! You will listen to me!" He ordered. Kenshin had so much to say, no time to say it. " If you impregnanted my wife, just like you had yours, you will not get the baby. You will not get her! And she will not get it either!" Kenshin didn't want to think what Enishi's twisted mind was coming up with. " The heir will be a bastard, and I don't want a soiled blooded baby in my perfect line! The day it is born, if you're still alive, you two will die together." He said darkly.

" Not in front of Kaoru!"

" Oh, yes, in front of Kaoru. This is your fault too! The day that bastard baby is born, you two will be taken in the gallows and hang you, it will be a beautiful sight to watch." He said ready to rub his hands together. Instead, his hand slithered from the sheath and pulled out a glinting dagger.

" Now, for my favorite part..." he was aiming to torture, yet not kill, the man he had pinned. As it plunged near his chest, Kenshin looked and let out a wince as it struck.

A/N: Okay! Lots of bad things happening, and Enishi is getting to be a really bad psychopath, so...what will happen next? Is Kaoru really pregnant? Who knows. But I will tell you this, the secrets of Tomoe are revealed, next chapter! Till, next time, KenSan out!


	14. Gomen

A/N: I must say, I work as hard as I can and I get not much...sighs...can't do anythign abou tit though. I enjoy what I get. It means that people care...Okay, here we go, you'll understand the whole Tomoe thing maybe...

**Gomennasii**

" Gomen..."

The small drippings in the stinkhole Enishi called a dungeon were definately getting to the man that sat on his knees.

" Gomen..." he whispered once again. His voice was surely tired, and his body was starting to feel shaky as well. He was having a hard time getting himself to stay steady with what lay next to him draining. It lay in the moldy cracks of the grayish floor, along with that of others from long ago. His head lay at his chest, watching the crimson pool grow bigger and bigger with each drop of the liquid.

The red-head moved his hand the inches that he could in the binding metal, squeezing it shut and stinging the cuts as his nails hit them. The blood fell from his fingers and down his palm to hit him on his head, blending well with the red color. He started humming slightly, thinking of the reasons that he was here. Wondering.., was Enishi true? He may have been a hard man to believe, but his voice was almost too convincing to be a lie. And the warrior said slowly...

" Gomen, Tomoe..." and thought as he said this. He thought about her, and looked to the puddle that ran in the cracks touching the knee of his trousers. His eyes were blank, and he went deep into the repressed memories he told himself that he would never unlock again. He scoured these to find the reasoning behind what the dictatious ruler spouted to him.

Kenshin closed his eyes smelling the moldiness of the decay brush against his nose. He cringed and looked up for a moment to see the little white light before him. He had lost a lot of blood, he knew it could all be an illusion. Though, even if it was, it was surely better than the hell that he was pushed into.

_There was a light smell of food coming from the inside of the small cottage in the middle of the forest. One man, hoeing the families food source as it was more of a past time than it was neccesity, found himself drawn to the rich aroma that came from the cottage. It wafted out of the windows and even up the chimney that billowed smoke up into the sky. _

_The red head came up the steps and opened the creaking wooden door, there in purpose for anyone that would dare try to enter he and his wife's sancutary. And there on the far end of the room she sat stirring the meal on the cauldren-like pot delicately tapping the wooden spoon on the side. She gazed over her shoulder and gave a smile to her husband, one of which looked as though it had something well to hide._

_Kenshin of course melted at this smile, arranged marriage or not, they had found each other and that was that. He dropped to his knees next to her, oh so tempted to run kisses up her arm but knew that it would lead to other things. To stop his urges, he merely placed his arms about her shoulders with his face buried in her long silky hair. Tomoe giggled at what he did, her head turning to look at his amethyst eyes talking to her. She let a small grin creep on her face and then turned back with him still leaning on her to stir the pot again. _

_" Kenshin..." she said very softly..." how would you like the pitter-patter of little feet on our floor?" she asked sweetly. Kenshin at first was shocked,not knowing exactly how he should react to this situation, but then, as he thought about it, he had the ideas whirring in his mind._

_" That would be great.." she nodded._

_" Good, because it shouldn't be too long..." she rubbed her stomach, though hardly protruding from her dress. _

_All Kenshin had in his mind was..._I'm going to be a father...

But, even as Kenshin thought this joyous thought, he never got jovial. His eyes were still dull and tired like, but there was a small hint of happiness in knowing that he could remember something that he had long suppressed. The next thing that he remembered was sending a pigeon to Hiko and Kaoru's father to say the joyous news that an heir between the royal blood of Eviary and Antholl was to be born. Of course the letters to them swooped in as well. Over the monthes they came to wonder if Tomoe's pregenancy was going well. Kenshin always said that everrything was fine and nothing would bother the preganancy. He made sure that Tomoe was off her feet if she was tired, or that she as taken care of when all assortment of things came from the morning sickness to the cravings that sent him to the nearest town for food. She tended to have these weird cravings at night, so he was sure to stock up whenever he went on any strange thing he felt that Tomoe would want.

Then, his mind played a time skip after the cute montage. It was in the cusp of the sixth and seventh month line. Tomoe was sleeping constantly and Kenshin, as the devote lover and husband, stayed by her side as much as he possibly could. He always sat in the corner, working on his writings while she slept. Usually when she awoke they would talk and he would ask if she was hungry or if she needed anything. Tomoe was always the modest one saying that she didn't, but Kenshin knew that she was lying and pried it out of her. Tomoe always had this thing about that would make her different from just about any princess. She never liked people doing things for her unless absolutely necessary. That was something that drew Kenshin to her.

_" Koishii..." Kenshin begged to his wife as she stood. Tomoe held her arm across her stomach that had grown alomst out of her dress. A dress that use to drag past her feet but now hung at her shins. _

_" Hush anata, I'm just getting something. Don't be so protective." She told him. Strange as it was. Tomoe was two or three years older than her husband, but as long as the marriage was capable of working..._

_" What do you need?"_

_" Nothing anata, why don't you tend to the garden, I'll be fine. I promise."_

_Kenshin wanted to please her, so he did as she said. It was more than just obedience that drove him to do so. He was getting a little stir crazy in their small home and convinced himself that he needed a little bit of fresh air. He kneeled to the rippening tomatoes that he was probably lucky grew. The summer weather was being crazy on him. He pulled up his shirt to make a hammock for the red tomatoes and began to pile them in. It did keep his mind from what was at hand. _

_It wasn't just that he was thinking about the welfare of his wife. He was thinking about the welfare of the baby to come. He, sad to admit, was apprehensive about the future. He shook a little. He heard from others that children were a little bothersome. That they cried at all hours of the night. But, he faced the fear. He had faced all sorts of enemies before. Would a baby be that hard? _

_He looked up at the flarring of wings. But, it wasn't a pigeon, rather yet a hawk. It came to him. Kenshin put up his arm and it landed gently. Tied to one of it's taloned feet was a letter from Hiko._

_Deshi,_

_It has come to attention that rebel may at hand in Keryan. I think you know the town is full of thugs. It will be simple to put down. Send your answer back._

_Hiko_

_The red-head nodded and went inside, the hawk perching on the handle of the stairs. Tomoe saw the sterness in her husband's face as he wrote on the letter back to Hiko. _

_" Anata?" _

_" I must go, I must." _

_" Where?" _

_" Close, Keryan. I will be gone only a day or two. I promise."_

_" Kenshin..."_

_" I know, but this is my duty. I'll come back unscathed okay? Just take care of yourself until I do. Send contact to Megumi if you must." He hugged her real tightly. He felt himself on the brink of tears. He had a separation anxiety for both her and the baby..._

A sound arose in the small dungeon. Kenshin drew up his head to see everything around him, bleak as it was. Guards passed his cell giving him dirty looks. He gave them back, just to fluster him, They knew they had captured the Grim Reaper, but with him in chains they weren't half as scared as they should have been. Kenshin lowered his head. Was he the Battosai though? Without his sword? Or maybe, without the love he had once had.

--

Misao and Aoshi managed their ways out of Enishi's throne room. They stayed ont he walls or on the ceilings just watching and waiting for the right moments. Misao was scared for Kenshin. They watched Enishi draw a knife on the warrior and try hard to stab him in the stomach, to no avail though. He had caught it, but Enishi still murmurred in his ear the cruel words that were making him crumble into little bits. Eventually, Enishi had gotten his guards in to take Kenshin away to the dungeon. He didn't have much fight left. His eyes has lost the luster in them. His head hung low. He had secluded himself in his mind where he knew that no one would hurt him. Misao only pitied the warrior as she watched.

" Misao..."

" Hai Aoshi-sama?"

" Come, we look now..."

They jumped down. They were in the corridor were Kaoru once sat. It unbarred now. She too was taken. Into captivity, they did not know. Enishi practically dragged her to the steps talking to her like she had done something wrong and he was the victim. Her yells had ceased, probably when they heard a smack echo in the hallway he had taken her too. Misao shuddered as she walked behind Aoshi into the empty and dim throne room. Only the moonlight was coming through and showing them glimpses of the holes in the floor.

" There is something down there." Aoshi stated.

" Like what?"

" It's probably a basement of some sort."

Misao nodded. She watched her leader pull off his tattered cloak and hers as well tying them together. He fanned them out grabbing two ends.

" Take the others. This will be our way down."

She did as she was told and grabbed them. There were no ifs. ands. or buts. They jumped and it sufficed to get them down. After a minute or two, their feet touched solid ground. There was a light ahead of them, like a tunnel. Misao gazed around seeing brick lines. As they went ahead, water touched their feet. Aoshi had stopped looking at the glittering object in the water. It was Kenshin's sword. He picked it up and held it as they went down further, the light getting nearer.

" Hello?" Misao heard heslef echo. " Himura?" she asked. Aoshi nudged her. They went up a few steps and they found themselves in a place lined with cells. Two guards walking back and forth crossing each other. Misao was quick to knock the first out. She jolted ahead to the second one. Where he had stopped, Misao looked over to see Kenshin looking half dead at the floor. She swallowed. He was singing something softly. It was just humming something though. She knew it all too well. The Song of the Crest. It's beauty for the beauty of the fertile areas in the three countries. He was in the past, for no one sang that song for two or three years. Nothing from it held to truth anymore.

" Aoshi-sama?"

" Quiet..."

He was listening to Kenshin as he stopped humming and laughed. The blood dripped from his hand to the floor with a very loud echo. Aoshi kneeled at the bars bowing his head and opening his ears.

" I told you not to come...I told you it would only be a day or two...I promised you that I wouldn't get hurt...Gomen Tomoe...Gomen..."

Aoshi looked at Kenshin's eyes that were the dullest he'd ever seen them, like he had no hope, no emotion...

But he understood what Kenshin was saying. What he meant all those years ago, for Kenshin was not the only one called to duty. Aoshi was one of the ninja that helped in the shadows.

--

_His eyes scanned in the sky as Kenshin lead the small group of nearby warriors to the center of the rebel. His sword tight at his waist. Aoshi blinked for a moment and saw something odd. From far away it came with a small run in her. But it was worn down. She carried her stomach well, a scarf around her arms as she slowed down to the trees that she neared. She ducked behind one. Aoshi looked back to Kenshin and his group. Another Lotus was also there. Kiyosato Akira. He was of low rank back then, and had no choice other than to listen to Kenshin even though he didn't look all that interested._

_Akira turned and looked back to they way Aoshi had, like he had heard something. He squinted, ot so it seemed. He turned back to the army as they stood, ready. He walked backward with his face forward to make sure his commanding officer was not looking at him. He then broke into a run. He was a fast one and made it to the tree that the girl was hiding behind. They looked like they were in an arguement for a moment. Aoshi saw Kenshin look back as Akira walked back. He turned back as the rebels came storming through the trees. With his hand on his sword, Kenshin rushed forward and so did Aoshi and his group. Nothing was too apparent what Kenshin was ordering of his group. But they were fighting well. _

_Then, Aoshi stooped on the top of the building that was near and saw Tomoe run out in to the deadlock that Kenshin had with another man. She was scared and her feet splashed in the blood and the dirt. The men were both about to make powerful strikes when. _

_Aoshi debated to close his eyes or not when he saw it. Kenshin's striked hitting his wife's back. He stumbled backward. Tomoe had struck the man in front causing him to be jarred and move back. Tomoe fell, and Kenshin raged. He rushed forward sword in hand and took no mercy on the man that forced this. He fell in his blood and Kenshin to Tomoe's side picking her up and cradling her. He didn't finish the battle he only started running._

_­_--

" You can't stay here forever Himura," he didn't respond, " I know you must feel safe, locked in your own mind, but this will not do anybody any good."

" It will save them from my stupidity."

" No it won't. You didn't do anything Himura. You did what you had to do, things happen. This, none of this, is your fault."

" I should have been able to help her!" he cried. He'd shot his head up, his eyes wide as tears continued to pour down heavily. " I should have thought about her more! It was my duty, but I shold have declined! I should have protected her! She was slaughtered! She was killed by my hand and my hand alone! It is me too blame!"

" Shut up Kenshin!" Misao's voice broke his and richocheted in the dungeon. He looked to her painfully, but he stopped his useless yelling. " None of this, none of this. What you did then, and what you do now, what you will do in the future. None of them connect. Shoulda, woulda, coulda, that's all your doing. But, this is all Enishi's twisted sick mind trick. Himura, I know you better than that. Enishi thinks he has the upper hand, but he doesn't, and you have to show him that..."

She trailed. Kenshin's eyes had went to a normal size. He listened to her and played it in his head as it went through over and over. Aoshi had rose from his kneel and pulled out his kodachi opening the bars. He stepped in.

" She's right Himura. It's lies..." Aoshi said. Kenshin was still thinking. Still listening to what was in his mind. Still playing it over and over again and thinking to then and to to what was happening now. Aoshi didn't care if he made it through to the warrior, or if he even wanted to stay in the chains or not. All Aoshi did was break the chains freeing the warrior from his imprisonment and bringing him to his feet. Kenshin was hardly steady. Aoshi handed over the sword in his hand, Kenshin taking it slowly and sheathing it. He looked into Aoshi's icy eyes, eyes holding determination, and to Misao's, ones with not only determination, but a strong fire. He nodded and stumbled forward.

--

Akira steadied himself on the horse as he led his men to battle. There was an unerasable smirk on his face. He looked back to the men who were looking determined, but were also terribly frightened of what was ahead. And with Akira in the leading position, they were petrified. He looked up at the fluttering of wings that came. A pigeon with a letter from Hiko to him. He furrowed his brows and held tight to the reigh with one hand as he scanned the note with the other.

_It has come to my attention that there is a mistake. I urge you to turn back,_

_Hiko_

Akira had to frown and looked back to his men as he stuffed it in his pocket. One of his officers at his side looked at him and asked,

" What was it sir?"

" Just a warning letter. It's nothing, we move on." He said. The offiicer shrugged and followed his commanding officers orders.

Akira thought of why he was doing this. Why he was betraying the army he was in for Eviary. Other than the reasonable sum of wage he recieved from both, it was for a few reasons. Two people. For Kenshin, and for Tomoe. He couldn't bear to see her be injured so mercilessly, by her own husband's hand like it was his fault to begin with. He remembered that day that the love of his life was slew. He would love her no matter who she married, though she didn't have direct feelings for him, it was in her eyes rather then her expression. And he would go to the ends of the earth to make her happy. But Kenshin made her happy somehow. Somehow the man who deserved nothing of what he had, was the man that she loved and planned to make an heir with. He seethed as he thought of that day.

--

_He was lined up in the few rows of men as Kenshin called out their places. He turned his back to look ahead at the advancing rebel army with pride on his face. But Akira wanted to spite at the pride that he emitted. He furrowed his eyebrows as he turned to look at the russling of leaves behind him. There she was, the white angel in all of her beauty and wonder. She peaked from behind that tree looking at her husband in fear. Akira looked back up again afraid, and then ran to her. _

_" Tomoe, what are you doing here?"_

_" Just go back in you line Sir Akira."_

_" Tomoe, it is unsafe."_

_" You think I don't know that? I'm watching my anata, I want to make sure my baby gets to see its father." She said, unconsciously placing her hand on her stomach. She gulped and looked past Akira. _

_" Get out of her Tomoe-dono, please. I beg of you. You neeed shelter. In your condition..."_

_" To hell with my condition, I know what I'm doing." She said stern and looked on to Kenshin. Akira looked at his feet and nodded in comply._

_" I love you Tomoe, I know its a stupid time, but I love you." And he ran off and back to his line. _

_As he fought, Kenshin taking down the men two at a time, Akira looked back at Tomoe still hiding from alls sight. She saw what all the warriors saw. The lock that Kenshin and the rebel leader were in. They were both arching back to do their attacks, and as he turned, he saw Tomoe running to her husband in fear she would lose him. In that instant, she was struck by Kenshin's sword as she struck the other man. She fell with her blood spraying from her back. Akira was blinded by that moment. Watching the Battosai strike his own wife. He swore that he would get Tomoe back._

--

Sighing slightly, Kenshin walked down the halls of the dungeon with his almost dragging.

" Himura, what else bothers you?"

" I don't know..."

" Himura, surely..." Misao askeed.

" Tell us what is on your mind." Aoshi said monotone.

And he did.

--

_Kenshin remembered going into battle as he always did. Not recognizing what he was doing or who he was doing it too. He body moved mechanically against the rest of the soldiers, knowing who to strike and who to stay from. He moved artfully, knowing he was going to come home alive to a wife and a child. And he kept that in mind as a way to keep him going. He pushed and pushed, until he was stuck in battle with the leader. His target was this man. He swung and the man blocked and it kept working that way again and again. _

_He felt himself deadlock with this man that was stronger than he wanted. Stronger than he wanted to fight. He jumped back and they deadlocked again. When they backed up and were ready to srike one last time, he heard her moving in. But he didn't think it to be her. He still continued with his strke, but nothing went fast. It went as slow as it could. She jumped in with a knife in her hand she'd retrieved fromt he ground. He was unable to stop his attack as it went down her back, tearing her dress, spraying her blood on his face. She fell, and he went to his knees with her. He looked up at the man stunned by the cut in his chest. Tomoe lay on her side with her eyes wide open in shock as blood continued to spill. He took care of the problem when his sight turned red, hitting the man that had forced this and turning, not to even see him fall. _

_He was at her side, picking her up and stopping as much blood flow as he could with his shirt. She looked at him with her deep dark eyes, shocked and she smiled as he ran to get her to a doctor._

_" Gomen..." she rasped._

_" Tomoe, why?'_

_" I just wanted to make sure you stayed safe."_

_" I promised you." He wasn't lecturing her though. He was on the brink of tears. " I promised you Tomoe."_

_" I wanted the baby to see its daddy. So, it will get to. I promise. If I do not make it, I ask yout o promise me you'll do this. Cut it out, let it live. Please, let it live. Okay?_

_" That doesn't matter. I'll get you to Gensai, and you'll make it. You'll have the baby, okay? I promise you..."_

_" You're always so sweet..." _

_" Don't close you eyes." He said to her as they drooped. " You'll stay here okay? Just stay..."_

_She nodded as she nuzzeled into his chest._

_­_---

" She lasted for a little bit, enough for her to talk to me for a few more moments in bed. She fell to a deep slumber. Very deep. And she made it a week..."

" Did you take the baby?" Misao asked, quiet and gently as not to sound eager. He didn't give her a hint...he looked at the throne room door that opened wide.

" Hello Kenshin!"

A/N: Sort of kind of cliffie. Who came. There are several choices. Tell me. This was to explain about Tomoe. Sorry, it may be boring... but I had to. She plays a key role in this story. Till next time, KenSan out!


	15. Grave Digging

A/N: I can't wait to keep going! Here we go!

**Grave Digging**

Kamatari lazed in the grass, plucking a few of them as he watched Hiko keep persisting in pacing the grounds wondering what he needed to do. He would stop and look at Kamatari who offered no help other than a shrug in which Hiko would then turn away with digust stretching his face and continue to pace. There was a rut of large footsteps where Hiko had went to and fro. His thoughts on what he should do in all of this mess. Akira wouldn't contact and was most likely a traitor, his most trusted, yet stupidest general was missing, with the princess no less. He was at a loss. Finally, grabbing his cape, he turned to Kamatari one last time.

" You shrug and I slit your throat." Hiko said.

" What do you want me to tell you? That Kaoru will be alright? That you're doing fine job or something?"

" I just need advice for once."

Kamatari snorted at what Hiko said. The great general of Antholl in need of advice. Kamatari rose to his knees and dusted off his kimono.

" Well, if you really want to go, I see no objection. You didn't make your generals generals for nothing right?"

" Of course not. They are people I trust to do their jobs." Hiko stated firmly. Kamatari's shoulders drew up.

" Then why do you need to pace any longer?" he asked," you should know your answer with that." He crossed his arms and yawned. Hiko turned to the forest that held the Warrior's Pass into the Camill Road. He could get to the boarder quicker than anyone else. But to risk his post.

" Would Enishi suspect?"

" Hiko, will you please quit questioning everything? I know its your job to get things right and all, but you sometimes gotta go with your gut. I mean, look at Kenshin and Kaoru, they're going on gut alone. They could face fatal threat, yet they know they do what's best."

Hiko considered what he was hearing. He then thought that never in his life would he be taking advice from Kamatari. He plopped on the ground and looked out to the road, still quizzical.

" Hun, what's getting in your way? You didn't become what you were by doing what you were told, we all know that..." Kamatari whipsered in his ear. Hiko shuddered at Kamatari beign that close, fearing he was contagious, and stood again, finally deciding, almost regrettfully, that Kamatari was right.

" I want you to tell the generals that I will be gone. I want Saito in charge, Shura in second command. Am I understood?" Hiko asked ina strong sure voice. Kamatari jumped up, his arm snapping to a salute at a perfect angle, and with his feet together said:

" Sir, yes sir!" Hiko nodded his head and started to run into the forest, looking over his shoulder once as Kamatari began to the base. He always questioned whether Kamatari was a true soldier...it was no question now.

--

They all turned to look at the tall figure appear in the doorway, the moon against his back ever gently. The once white fabric that he wore was stained in red, his body lighly bandaged where need be. But, there was a smile erupting on a battered face and he walked in with a confident stride, men walking behind him, and a lady to his side. Kenshin untensed, his mind settled after the thought that there would be another battle.

" Kenshin, you did get my letter didn't you?" The emperor asked. Swallowing, the warrior nodded. " Glad you answered the call. And with guests I see."

" This is no victory, they know we are here." Kenshin stated, his voice slightly dry. Sanosuke nodded and looked to Megumi. Her eyes fixed on the blood that dripped in Kenshin's fist. She started over, her medical case in front of her and she kneeled to him. He didn't stop her, and watched her a moment when he opened to show her his palm. She clicked her tounge and unlocked a few drawers working quickly as her hands could take her.

" Hey, we got inside didn't we?" Sanosuke asked. His eyes went from his friend to around the room that was battered from battle.

" Are the holes from you or him or what...?"

" He dropped the floor. It's a long way down too..." Kenshin stated. He drew up his hand where Megumi had fixed it and gave her a nod as a thanks. She appreciated it, and walked to Sanosuke's side. Misao had a glitter in her eyes seeing how she had came to him and to his side almost automatically. It proved something that she had longed on proving. Proving that class didn't neccessarily make who had to love who.

" Where is jou-chan Kenshin?" Sanosuke asked. That was when Kenshin's head dropped. It was only ever so slightly that it did, proving that it was not at a complete failure, but that he felt a terrible guilt for whatever had occured. He drew it up once more, looking in Sanosuke's brown eyes and clearing his throat.

" She is with Enishi...safe I would hope, but I doubt." Kenshin said firmly. There was a strength to where he controlled the tears that wanted to flow. The thoughts that were raging in his head and he couldn't stop. The thought that he may lose another, and he taking part in helping by wanting her to come and helping him. He only risked her life even more. But, he then realized another thing that he probably didn't want to. The fact that what Kaoru and he had done was not just simply a one night stand, rather a road that had a very large block in it.

" Where do you think he could have taken her then?" Sanosuke questioned. He read the blankness in his friends' eyes, which gave no answer.

Sanosuke turned to the men, and looked up at the many floors in the palace. It's structure was well built, but it was centuries old, which gave the young emperor an idea.

" I want everyone to fan out. Do what it takes to get where you need to get, destroy anyone that gets in your way. But look for my young sister and bring her back safely." Sanosuke said. They looked upon each other.

" Go!"

And they didn't hesitate a second to do as they were told. They started running like chickens in all directions.

" What now?" he asked, it directed to his red-headed friend.

" We look for Kaoru-dono, that we do." He said and turned to go to the stairs. Sanosuke followed him, and Megumi was beside. Aoshi and Misao jumped into a secret passage, one that ran all through the palace, and followed from above.

All were on guard though. Their apperance seemed slightly relaxed, but they were much on guard. Sanosuke's back couldn't get any straighter if he tried, and his fists were clenched so hard that he drew blood in his palms. Megumi's knuckles were white from holding her medical case so hard. Kenshin was the calmest though. His hands weren't too relaxed, but not in a tight fist either. His face was very nuetual, while his mind rummage in catacombs. Pictures of Tomoe flashed before him, the mistake that she had made. The blame that he put on himself everyday, and now really pondered whether it was intentional or not.

He hated killing, an awkward thing for a military man. But, the reason was he being plucked up from his family and trained like a robot to do what he had to do. His hand went to his sword as they rounded a corner in the never ending steps. His sword was not that that could kill. But there was a grim illusion to it that it could. That riot he tried to put down. Tomoe running into the crossfire. He told himself that in her hormonal state she must have made a misinterpretation of her own feelings, and it clouded her judgement. And he, he was a machine then. His eyes slit narrow and seeing red, his body moving robotically to do what he was suppose to do. But, he hadn't been that way since. Only another illusion. To make it seem that he was just as bad as he was. To make it seem that he was a tough opponent.

He opened his eyes and thought no more.

---

Kaoru sat on the bed in her room. Her body was tight, and closed of. Her arms were around her chest in a hug to herself. The expression on her face gave off that she could be bothered by no one. But on her cheek there formed a bruise where Enishi had hit her before they got up.

And Enishi paced with his hands behind his back, looking at his wife with a half annoyed and half pleased look in his eyes. The psychotic grin that crept on his lips that made Kaoru shudder, bumps on her skin forming as she tried to hide them.

" You thought that you could get away?" he asked, " you're a stupid little girl still. You're the worst escapee ever. To come back. You were doing good to make it to the army base. So why do you turn back?" He asked. There was no need for her to answer. If he knew that she was at the army base, then he must've known why she returned.

" You're a monster..." she said low.

" What was that my little caged rat?" he asked with a sing-song voice.

" You're a monster! You had no right to do what..."

" I have no right! I have no right! I am the king! I do what I want and when I want to. You have no say in any of this. Women need to keep their mouths closed." He was real near her face so she tried to back away.

" You had no consent." She said, but the force in her voice was draining.

" I had no consent? Hmmm..." his eyes stabbed her down. " You gave me your damn consent when you married me!" He grabbed her by her hair and shoved her closer to him. " You goddamned whore. You think you have the right to cavort around with other men? Your father would be so ashamed."

" So would yours. Rape? His son? Brutalizing? He would never imagine that of his son I'm sure. I knew him. You want to know the horrible truth?" The hairs were threatening to pull as he clenched them tighter. " You're the weak link of your line."

He dropped her, but not before lunging at her. She rolled off the bed and onto the floor scampering backwards to safety. Just as she felt him on her, the door burst open.

" Kenshin..." she said with relief.

" So, Battosai rears his ugly head does he? I was just getting to the best part..." Enishi said smoothly. He stepped more near to him, but his sword was out and tip was at at Enishi.

" Don't take one more step." He challenged.

" You're breaking my heart Battosai. Really, I thought that we were over all of this..."

" You will let her go."

Enishi crossed his arms and lolled his head to the side.

" And if I don't...? You really haven't much room to say anything...ah, Sagara..."

Enishi held open arms when Sanosuke looked in, but he saw Kaoru sitting on the ground frayed. He kneeled down to his sister, whispering in her ear then helping her to her feet. She leaned on him, her head into his chest. Sanosuke knew Kaoru almost a little too well. She was a strong and independent girl, ever since she was very small. Nothing ever scared her. But Enishi had her in his palm and could close it at any time. Enishi represented fear to her. He had so much control over her life that she was paralyzed at just the sight of him. At the aura of him around.

Sanosuke wrapped an arm around her waist to comfort her, and she continued to let the tears fall. Sanosuke, for a moment, passed his sister over to Megumi and Misao who were knowing exactly what to say. Sanosuke started to lung to Enishi, but Kenshin put his sword in the way of his path.

" This is a fight that I fight alone." He said.

" Kenshin, I do this for Kaoru."

Kenshin turned to look back at the emperor with clenched teeth.

" Comfort her like a brother would," he said, " like a brother should. I have that in heart, that I do. You fighting spirit is within me. I will not let you down." He whispered. Sanosuke let down his fists and looked back to Kaoru, then nodded to his friend as he stepped away. Kenshin was satsified and gazed back at Enishi his mind solely on this fight alone. He had so much to prove, and so much to clear up. So much was riding on the swing of a sword. He put it back in the sheath and bent his knees.

" Let's finish this fued Enishi."

A/N: Cliffie. Well, I hope that was long enough. Till next time, KenSan out!


	16. Sparks Fly

A/N: I guess I need to start a new chapter. I need to say one thing though.

**Sparks Fly**

Yahiko was getting a little sick from all of the riding, but he still held firm to Magdaria as they pushed on. The capital was in their grasp very soon, which meant that they would probably meet up with Kenshin and the others. The look on Magdaria's face scared Yahiko though. She seemed to grow more sullen the further that she rode. He straightened his back and looked past her shoulder.

" Magdaria, is something the matter?"

" I'm just worried about Shougo, that's all. I don't even know if he's alive." She said. Yahiko understood that plight at least. Magdaria was only doing what Shougo had asked of her. And he left her with only the little bit of hope.

" Your brother's strong right?" Yahiko asked her. Magdaria slowed the horse down a bit to nod her head and cough. " If he's strong as you believe he is, then he'll survive no doubt. He's probably helping Hiko or something."

The way that Yahiko's voice assured was a God send to Magdaria. However, a russel from behind broke her jubilence as she turned to look back. Yahiko had his hand to the bokken on his back, ready to protect that ill Magdaria if his life was lost. But the footsteps, large as they sounded, had begun to slow. Yahiko could hardly see anything in the darkness, and relied on his other senses.

" Who's there?" he barked.

" Oh, so this is were the other horse went."

The deep voice was startling at first, but it quixkly turned to a brightness in both eyes. A branch moved out of the way, and showed the giant before them. The darkness made him seem more foreboding than usual. A smirk came on the general's face to know that Magdaria and Yahiko were out here and hadn't made it to the palace.

" Hiko-sama," Magdaria whispered with surprise.

" Ah, Shougo's little sister right?" Hiko went past her, her head following his movements.

" I am, and do you now how he is?" Magdaria questioned, trying to hold back her fear of whatever Hiko would tell her. But, his face didn't turn grim like she expected it too. Instead, his eyes went to the trees ahead of them, a small crack to see the city in the horizon. He looked back, eyes softening enough as he told her,

" Shougo will survive. It will take some time to heal from his wounds, but he will survive."

" Then...that nasty man was...Shougo..."

" Akira on the otherhand has went against us. It was by Shougo we learned of the conspiracy. It was too late though to get Akira back from leading the troops."

" Why would you put him there in the first place?!" Yahiko growled. " Couldn't you of all peopled tell he was evil?"

" He didn't have an malevolance in him when he came to me. He seemed...sincere. I guess he's one hell of a mastermind to get past even me."

" So...what is he doing Hiko-sama?"

Hiko then seemed alittle frightened as he motioned them forward. Magdaria guided the horse behind Hiko. The last thing he wanted to do was explain to her that he had made a mistake. One that could be costly to Antholl.

" He is leading the regiment I planned Kenshin to lead. He...he is leading them to where he decides that they should go. For all they know, this is what I have told Akira to do." Hiko stated. Though explanation saddening and, excurciating for Hiko to tell, he managed and pressed forward.

On his mind at the moment was that Kenshin still had the oppourtuntiy to bring Enishi down. And, if his memory served, that Sanosuke would also be helping with a band of rogue men and women.

-----

Kenshin was alittle unsure that a bedroom be the sight of a battle. It was roomy, not the problem. But all of the possessions in there could easily be lost. Still, there was no way that he could convince Enishi to move elsewhere.

" What do you think you will accomplish by defeating me Enishi?" asked Kenshin in a clam voice. They were both ready for anything the other would surprise them with, and their guard was almost impossible to penatrate.

Enishi let out a low laugh, one that sent chills down Kaoru's spine. She shook in Sanosuke's arms. " Simply the feel of taking your life in exchange for you taking sisters," he answered smoothly.

" Tomoe made a mistake...she was confused..."

" It didn't matter if she was confused or not, you could have stopped yourself. But you were and always will be a killer. You took her life...no second thought."

Kenshin wanted to bite back, but somewhere deep within what Enishi said there was no way to say that he wasn't right. Because he was. Kenshin knew he had taken Tomoe's life, but not on intention. And, he had to keep telling himself that it was only a mistake. That he didn't mean any harm and didn't even know that Tomoe was going to do what she did. He told her to stay behind, and for whatever reason she decided that it was right to follow anyway.

Kenshin opened his eyes to Enishi again, this time determined to not listne to anything that Enishi said. Enishi wasn't going to talk though. He was ready to fight now. He started to charge forward with his sword in hand. Kenshin had to be quick as he drew and countered. Enishi's strong blow shook him, but he started forward in an attack toward the man. It was mostly an exchange of attack and counter attack. The metal singing as it flew threw the air and clanged in chorus. They circled in the open space of the bedroom. Their eyes on their feet, on the swords. Kenshin and Enishi had traded places and were where each other started the battle. Kenshin could keep his eyes on Kaoru and the others.

But Enishi kept him distracted as he made another swing and pushed Kenshin back. He hit the wall next to a window, only inches away from hitting it had not his footwork been able to avoid it. But Enishi was already poised for another attack by the time Kenshin put up his blade again. They crossed, and the sparks of the metal flew through the air as each of them tried to push the other near the wall and trap them. Kenshin wouldn't allow it.

As Enishi tired another swing, he had enough room to duck and move out. The window shattered at the force, only jagged pieces staying in place as the rest srayed across the ground. Kenshin kept himself crept low to the ground for a few moments. It was only to realize that Enishi had more intentions for the window thanhe originally thought.

Enishi swung low one time to make Kenshin rise, and a second time to force him near the window. It was like a dance to Kenshin. Now, not only was Enishi his enemy, so was the window.

They crossed swords again, and were in a shaking lock to make the other fall. Before either did, Kenshin saw something that he though would never happen. It was like reading Enishi's mind. He was watching the past fly before him. The thoughts that Enishi harbored of hate and spite, the pain that the young king had endured through the loss. No, that wasn't all that was there. He was also thinking about something that Kenshin even forgotten along with the rest of his memories. The days before Tomoe fell into the long sleep and passed. And it came before his eyes, almost like a dream...

---

_The room that the red-head sat in now was as dark and as plagued as the darkest caverns. And he waited in silence, brooding in a depression he just couldn't break. The sight that was before him, with a pain that struck his chest each time she sputtered to breath, or let out a wimper of distress. Yet, even when he would jump to ask her if she need anything, her weak voice still told him that she was alright. And she would smile at him. _

_Lately, more than ever, she hardly spoke a word. Instead she made a motion. Kenshin was not her doctor, but he was her servant. He would do what she said, and what Gensai said to do when nessecary before the kind old doctor could even think to do it. He would cover her when she got cold. He would make sure that she ate enough to keep her body going, even if her weight was dropping dangerously, especially for the baby that she still harbored inside her. _

_She was on her side for the wound and the baby. Her clothes off her body to show her back to her husband this day. She curled up as best that she could, her body shaking under the blankets. There was nothing left for the warrior to do but to hope that she would get better. She let out a small cry, but stopped and acknowledged the footsteps that Kenshin caught. _

_Her brother walked in, a guard at the door. He was still dressed grandly, his sword at his waist. He walked in grace with his head tilted down, his eyes menacing toward the warrior, but soft to the injured sister. He sat on the opposing side of Kenshin, and Tomoe lifted her head just barely to see his figure with the blurry eyes. She wanted to lift her hand, but she was too weak. Kenshin found himself on the recieving end of a deathly glare. Only Tomoe's precense was even saving him from a certain onslaught of verbal fighting. But, Enishi was sparing nothing, even in front of his sister. He had enough heart to respect that she was ill and stood again to walk over to Kenshin._

_" Outside Himura..." he commanded between grit teeth. Kenshin more than welcomely stood and followed the king to the streets of Micea. On that day, the streets were flourishing, and a storm was brewing just over the hills. An awkward wind seemed to describe the emotion between these two warriors. Both probably would have been content to draw then and there, had there not been a threat of police capture. But then, Enishi would have had diplomatic immunity. _

_" What is it that you want Enishi?" _

_" You see what you have done? Explain yourself." He demanded, trying his best not to go into an all out rage against the red-head._

_" She is wounded that she is. "_

_" And I suppose you know who did this Himura? You were the one that found her..." Enishi's voice drew threatening, and spectators stopped to watch the two. _

_" It was a mere accident Enishi, that it was. She was caught in the middle." The wind circled around the strong aura emitted from the two. ENishi began to walk closer, Kenshin planting his feet firm in the ground. The blood was still on his shirt, the incrimination right there infront of Enishi. _

_" Then tell me what she was doing there? And in the condition that she was in." _

_Kenshin hummed and closed his eyes. This was difficult to say the least. His explanation had to be well said, and even if it was put that way it would still anger the royal. He could already see the flames in Enishi's eyes. _

_" I don't know Enishi."_

_" And, why did you slash her? You were the one that was suppose to protect her until you died."_

_" I don't know Enishi."_

_" Then what the hell do you know?!" he roared. _

_" She went of her free will. I told her to stay at home." Kenshin stated firmly. Ensihi seemed displeased, but there was no sense of lying in Kenshin that he could find. He lowered his head and kicked the dirt like a child. " Only thing, Enishi, that we can hope for, is that she recovers from this wound." Kenshin said._

_Enishi had to nod to agree, he was reasonable to an extent. He walked past Kenshinto co back to the clinic, the spectators scattering since it was over. But before he could enter the clinic he said to Kenshin._

_" It will be on your head if she dies. I will not let you get away with this."_

_" Brother..." the shallow voice called from inside. Kenshin's eyes widened in fear as he went forward. " Brother...please don't fight with my koishii, please.." she begged withthe little strength she had. " I, it was my fault, he...he told me to stay behind...I"_

_" Shhhh," Enishi hushed her and fell to a knee stroking her head. " I'm not mad at him. You rest now."_

_" Brother," she said yet again. " Don't hurt him...please..." _

_Enishi nodded as she closed her eyes to sleep. But he looked back to Kenshin with that spite._

_" If he upholds his conditions."_

---

Kenshin was thrusted back by the force of Enishi's blow. He stumbled and his hands touche dthe ledge of the window. The glass cut in his rough palms causing him to grimace and screw his face in pain. There was no way to get away from the window with Enishi righ tin him. He removed his hand from the glass and let it drop to the floor. As Enishi attacked again, he fell backward as he blocked. He was hanging by his knees out the window. The darkness changing his vision. There were many of the rogues Sanouske had rounded up outside with the spoils tehy had taken. Kenshin tried to pull himself up. Out of the window hung Enishi, his sword ready to stab Kenshin's knees. His only choice was to let go, and he did just that as Enishi stabbed down. His sword grasped the wood hard, and it took him a few moments to pull it out. When he did, he looked down to see the red as a beacon to Kenshin laying on the roof above the veranda. A few of the shingles were pulled up where he slid, and his body looked like it lay limp on those shingles were he had stopped. Enishi climbed out that window and shimmied down to Kenshin.

On that roof where the red head had slid, he lay trying to get the numbness out of his legs in the awkward position that he had fallen. There was a burning where his shoulder had dragged on those tiles. But there was not much time to recover as Enishi jumped the rest of the way down to the roof. He stabbed at Kenshin again and again, making the red-head block and move back on his elbows. There wasn't much space to move though.

" Feeling trapped Himura?"

But he didn't respond to the comment and over came the numbness and pain to try and stand. But Enishi hit himwith his free hand causing him to stumble back.

" Falling to your death. Fitting to watch you crumble at the ground. Oh, what a sight that wold be..." Enishi laughed and licked his lips at the thought.

" Neither of us will die here Enishi." Kenshin said firm as he raised his sword.

" You won't slay me? Come now, you decided it was alright for Tomoe..." he made several slashed that caused Kenshin to almost lose his balance,"...didn't you!"

" It was an accident. She said herself!"

" That was a lie you told her to tell!" he roared and swung again. Kenshin moved away and jumped to moreopen ara on the small veranda.

" I never said anything to her. She always told you of all people the truth. You were her brother after all." Kenshin decided that it was his turn to fight Enishi back and made a few swings of his own that Enishi countered.

" Then why did she lie to me?"

" She didn't. She was being sincere in those last moments of consciousness. She wanted you to stay the same. She didn't want you to become a monster if anything happened," Kenshin broke the lock of swords and tried to attack. More sparks flew as they crossed swords. It drew attention to the two in the air from down below. Kenshin was gritting his teeth. Enishi was equal to him in strenght. They most likely had the same passion to prove the point about their common bond. " She didn't want you to turn into the thing that she knew that you would. She knew of your foul temper. Your easy hotheadedness that she seemed to calm. The thought of your older sister being mad at you made you cringe down. It made you just want forget everything that you had done. For her sake. When she was gone you had lost your chains to the ground. The thing that kept your fire doused."

Enishi bite back at Kenshin's words as he swung harder and harder to Kenshin. Each blow was causing the red heads arms to shake more. They were continuing to circle about the roof top.

" You don't know what you're talking about Himura."

" But, the reason mainly she made you promise you wouldn't get mad at me, was the reason I only just figured..."

" You never known what her intentions were."

Kenshin closed an eye. All his thoughts were on, were making blocks and telling what he had learned.

" She had never meant to get caught in the first place. She was just thee to observe that she was..." kenshin looked over to the oncoming marching. The thought of what that could be only brought more reason to say what he thought. He shoved Enishi off of him and looked for a way down the roof. He jumped real gently and felt himself fall and braced himself for impact. When he landed, his legs practically giving out on him and forcing him to plant in sword in the ground. Enishi willingly followed suit, but wondered why Kenshin would use his strength to do such a stunt. Though, it became apparent when not only Hiko, Magdaria and Yahiko showed themselves, but when Akira and his army showed in the courtyard.

" This is a surprise..." Ensihi chuckled.

" I didn't expect you Akira!" Enishi yelled.

" Well, I had second thoughts, but a front row seat to Battosai's slaying? To good to pass up."

" Akira, you are also mad at me it seems." Kenshin stated.

" Well, your not as stupid as I thought..."

" Then listen to me as well."

Kenshin back up to be in the direct middle of everything.

" Tomoe died in a horrible way that no human should experiance. And I will say that we all have suffered a loss after her passing. And...we have all suffered her pain." Kenshin was getting shallow on breath. " I know my words will mean nothing to you two, but I think that light should be on the situation."

Akira had his bow at the ready, but he waited for what Kenshin had to say. And, Enishi wanted to heat blah, blah, blah, but that didn't happen. " She died as the cause of my sword, but the way she died, we make excuses for. We blame others, we blame ourselves. She was there, behind that tree, to watch. She was there to watch to make sure that I was alright. I know she was. In the mix up of both rational and irrational, she chose the wrong path. She never intended to get caught in the middle, but she didn't want to see what could have happened. She threw herself in the wind, and planned what she wanted, though the pain be fierce and mortal. None of us will overcome her death, but none of us can keep our grudges when it was no one's fault. Human accident is something that we need to account for..." Kenshin turned to Akira.

" As for you, I'm sorry your love was stripped, but that gives you no reason to start a conspiracy, and Enishi..."

" Himura, you like to babble.."

" If you want to believe that its my fault, then let yourself do that. I will let you take your strike now. Maim me all you want for what pain I've caused. But, once you do, stop this war and turn yourself over. One grudge doesn't mean that you can spill innocent blood in your rage."

Enishi drew his sword, but Akira seemed to see the light in all of this. He put down his bow and lowered his eyes. Enishi started running as Kenshin held his arms out. He could already feel his chest tightening even before Enishi hacked in him two. Everyone watching had stopped breathing. Kaoru felt her heart stop at this sacrifice, tears flowing down her cheeks. Sanosuke turned her head to his chest and closed his eyes tightly. And they heard the sword bite at the wind, and the painful scream. When they opened there eyes though, there was a light in front of Kenshin with its arms out. Enishi was sprawled helplessly on the ground with his sword planted a ways away. He lifted to his elbows and looked at the face.

" Sister..."

She didn't speak, but walked over and kneeled to Enishi with her hand at his face. She msiled briefly causing Enishi's boiling blood to cool down. He smiled back to her.

"_ Forgive..." _the voice said to him, " _forgive and move on..."_

She gave one last smile before standing and opening her arms to shine bright before disappearing in falling sparks. Clearly destiny wanted Kenshin alive. And, Enishi felt his spite begin to wash away...

On the other side, Kenshin was awe struck at his protecter. The second time she took a sword for him. There was so much going on that confused the warrior. He looked to Kaoru who was ready to cheer at him, and to Hiko smiling at his accomplishment. In the small glory that he felt in the tired body, he let his fallen figure lay down on the ground and close his eyes.

A/N: Not a grand fight, but worthy of Kenshinright? Tell me what you think. This story is about to wrap up. Till next time, KenSan out!


	17. Epilogue

A/N: Yeah, no impressive fight scene. I know I may not sound like a true RuroKen fan by not using Kenshin's attacks, but that's not the case. The thing is, is that I can't tell one from the other a lot of the time and I really don't want to get them wrong and prove that I'm a complete idiot. Hehehehe...well, the ending of **Dead of Knight**!

**Epilogue**

_1 year later..._

_Eviarian Shore, Summer Villa..._

_Oh it feels so long since I picked this thing up and wrote in it. The past times have been rough for me and my friends. But, through the thick we finally have the long awaited peace that we wanted. The anthem of the Crest sung by the street passerby. _

_I guess you'll want to know what happened, huh diary? I never got the chance to say anything through the ordeal. Going from one country to another to get away from Enishi and the complexity that I never imagined that would occur. I guess it will always remain partly a mystery since only Tomoe knows why she did what she did. Enishi, on the other hand, has seened to change. He will never be a kind person, but he will be better now then he was then. And, he has enogh understanding in his heart to see the love that Kenshin shared for me. Techniqually, we can never truly be married by the Courts because I am still binded to the now imprisoned Enishi...odd huh? And the stranger part was, he went of his own free will. I think it was, had he not done that then he would have been hung. _

_And, me and Kenshin were married by a small court in Jubyen that let us use fake names. We have a lot of reason to be together. One, is of course we are happy. But the second was that we were blessed with a small bundle of joy named Kenji. Is Kenshin acknowledged by any court as a royal? Sure...Antholl. Since Sanosuke was somehow able to find out, he has always considered Kenshin of the royal family. Hiko is both proud and mad...Kenshin, though lower than he in army is higher because of the Court. Hehehehe..._

_As for my brother...well...Megumi and him are a hard thing for the public to grasp. The idea that an emperor loving a commoner still didn't appeal to many, but it had been done before. I say that it doesn't matter. Misao is the one that backs them up. She and Aoshi work in the palace now as guard for my brother and his new wife. Still, you would never see my rooster head of a brother as an emperor. He wants to wear common clothing and mingle with his ' subjects.' _

_Then, what about the traitorous Akira Kiyosato? Hiko took Akira in his hands. He's practically a slave as his punishment. He __**has**__ to do what Hiko says...or else. He was also stripped of his high rank in the military and he's always looked at in spite by the other men in the army. I don't now if I totally agree with what happened, he did hurt Shougo though, other than that I don't see him doing anything. Attempted conspiracy though. _

_Shougo and Magdaria have retreated back to Jubyen in peace. Shougo never made a full recovery, he still wields a sword and was given the highest honor as a peace maker, with the gold trimming his blue ribbon. We hear from them by mail every now and then, and they plan to come up here while Magdaria still has time on her clock. They have started spreading Christianity, which became to major religion in Jubyen after their ruler switched to it. _

_Yahiko is training to be a warrior in the royal guard, even at his young age. At our time of peace right now, there really isn't a need for the army or the guard. But you never know. _

Kaoru's writing stopped for moment and looked to the wicker cradle that she rocked gently. A soft coo came from inside the cradle. Her eyes went to the window that was overlooking a seashore. The water rushing up against the ridge in the distant bringing a mist to keep the baby's room cool. She brushed a hair from her eyes, turning to the door that opened to Kamatari, who promised to always be by her side. He practically skipped in and over to the baby. He was the caretaker when Kaoru had her functions, but the baby was always nearby.

" Hello sweetie, aren't you the most darling today..." Kamatari cooed to the baby in that childish voice. He picked Kenji up gently and cradled the baby. Kaoru laughed at the way Kamatari could mother and love the baby.

" What are we up to today dear?" Kamatari asked pulling up a chair.

" I'm getting back to my diary. I haven't picked it up in ages."

" Well, its been rough..." Kamatrai tickeled the laughing boy. " Am I in there?"

" No," she opened it again. " Did you see Enishi?"

" Yeah, he sends his love. He wants to see you and the baby soon. I presume you'll go."

Kaoru nodded. He was, after all, still her husband. Prisoner or not.

_The palace at the captial is still under reconstruction. Shortly after Kenshin and Enishi finished their fight and we got out, it collapsed where Sano told them to destroy the place. The Court thinks that we need to have two locations in my country. I still consider Antholl my country. Then again, I rule Eviary now, and its starting to rise high into the economy. I didn't realize how naive I was that the Eviarian economy was dirt poor. Now, we can contend with the others in the Crest and even the rest of the world. _

_Oh...I have to go, Kenshin said that he had a surprise for me today. I wonder what it is? It is the inependance festival today!_

Koaru shut the book and did all she could to prevent from squealing. As she did, the door opened to a less than regal looking Kenshin. His hair was still almost like he had rolled out of bed. His clothes were a bit wrinkled, but it was that he had just came from a training from the attire he had on. On her feet, the young queen stepped over to Kenshin who wrapped her in his arms. After all was said and done, Kenshin was the one to help her cope with everything. Oddly enough, he was a good ruler, and a good forger. He did a lot of things that Kaoru didn't realize until she went through town to talk to the people. In disguise of course. Didn't work too wel, but it was better than nothing.

" Come on Miss Kaoru, its time for your surprise."

" Shouldn't you get ready first, I mean..."

" For this, no one will really care, that they most certainly won't." He stated sure. Kaoru felt him put an arm around her waist, something that he hardly did. There was a look on his face that was almost caniving.

" Kaoru dear, you want me to follow?"

Before Kaoru could answer, Kenshin turned and cradled their small son in his arms. That was when Kaoru realized that he had finallly gotten the child that he never had. And he had told her that he was still in love with Tomoe, but that it wouldn't hurt their relationship. Kenshin pined every now and then, but he never thought too much on the topic to neglect his duties to Kaoru. Yep, Lotus men did make great husbands.

" Where are we going Kenshin?"

" The back garden."

Kaoru felt him put his arm around her waist yet again and pull her along. The baby was knawing on Kenshin's shoulder as it teeth, Kamatari right behind cooing nonexistant words to the baby with this sweet look on his face. Not only was it keeping Kenji calm, it was making both her and Kenshin unable to keep from laughing.

They reached the back door, them opened to two of the doormen who had the same look on their faces as they bowed to the queen.

" Close your eyes Miss Kaoru..." Kenshin ordered sweetly. She did as she was told. " Please, keep them closed if you would." Kaoru nodded again. His hand about her waist was guiding her down the steps and turning her. Why was he taking her to the East Garden? But, she didn't question. Her ears were open, but all she heard was the roaring ocean. She was in one place. Finally, he husband said,

" Open them..."

And she did. All the people in front of her she would have never known. All looked like commoners and street people. All of her friends giving her these wide smiles. Sanosuke and Megumi in the back. Megumi was wrapping her arms gently around her stomach, her smile radient and giving off that glow while Sanosuke mingled with Magdaria. Misao was the first to run up to her and hug her tightly.

" I missed you so much Kaoru! Oh, Sano couldn't stop talking about coming here with Megumi. Can you see that motherly glow in her? We found out just days before we came here. " Kaoru laughed for a moment.

" Sano's been busy hasn't he?"

" Righto! Well, at least we know we'll have an heir right?" Misao sked. Kaoru looked over to Kenshin who was now talking to Sanosuke. She went and grabbed the baby, Kamatari now following her.

" So," he asked, looking yoward Misao," is Aoshi here?"

" Somewhere. He's ' surveying ' as he said." Kaoru looked around the place, Aoshi nowhere in visiable sight.

" He isn't going to come?" Kaoru asked, almost disappointed.

Misao shruggerd. " He doesn't like these parties. He always ' surveys'."

" Maybe I should order him to come." Kaoru suggested with a wicked tone in her voice.

" Find him first," Misao said with hands on her hips. Even she was mad at him. The love was obvious, but neither of them would show it just yet.

" You don't know where he is?"

" Nope."

Kaoru shrugged and found a seat to feed the baby.

_I guess you can say that its all boring now. The reason that they say happily ever after is because of that reason. Honestly, I'm glad that me and Kenshin got our happily ever after. Unortidox as it was. And, tonight I sit here, the stars glittering and the fireworks going off in all the beautiful colors and sizes. And, we all lay in the grass watching them without a care in the world. I think to myself that Ireally didn't get that happily ever after, because unlike all those fairytales with the beautiful princess being saved by Prince Charming and then it coming to an end with the boringness of life. My life will never be boring, not with the people that I know. And definalty not in the life that I live. So, it comes to the dead of night that Kenshin becones me to bed, I say goodnight to one adventure, only to know I will begin another._

A/N: Fin! Well, I had fun with this. I hope you look at other stories if you liked this one. KenSan out!


End file.
